TDM #5

[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.)

➥ Both Sides Now

(cw: nephophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, potential for a fate worse than death)

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, especially not with recent events that have transpired surrounding Dogtown. An employee gives you a number to call if anything truly dangerous happens and you've been left with another person at the trailhead. 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.

It's a cool and cloudy November day, which, given the season, isn't unusual. The sky's the sort of dark gray that promises rain sooner rather than later, and there's a weight to what's above as pairs move about Dogtown in search of anything unusual. For once, the place seems to be… normal. It's just a walk or hike through the woods depending on the paths you decide to take.

At least until you look up. It's hard to tell there's anything off at first. The clouds loom above, rumbling moodily with thunder and continuing to threaten a cold shower. Perhaps you planned ahead and have brought an umbrella or donned a poncho or raincoat. ADI would be happy to provide such things. But each time you look up, the sky seems to be getting closer.

It's not elevation. There are some hills around Dogtown, but certainly nothing that would make a marked difference on how close the clouds are. No, those are coming down. Slowly, but surely, the sky is lowering itself toward you and even the least supernaturally aware person will likely have the sense that they are being menaced. The sky wants them.

It may be wise to find a lower elevation and get out of Dogtown… if that's even the problem. The gray wall above seems to stretch in every direction without an end. No breaks for blue skies, no lighter spots where the sun might be starting to burn through. It's a uniform and inevitable crush downward. Seemingly. Whether one can overcome the fear or not, that sense of oppression and vastness is inescapable. The sky is coming down and it will crush you, much like the other pressures in your life that come bubbling to the fore. There are so many of them, aren't there? Little things start to seem enormous when they're all stacked up together. Impossibly huge. How could anyone overcome this?

Those who escape the borders of Dogtown will quickly find that it's only the park that's been affected. The broader town is fine. It's a hazy day, but there are spots of sunlight and the clouds are heavy, but far above where they should be.

Those foolish enough to stay and see what happens… well…

Enjoy sky blue. It's where you'll be trapped forever.

➥ Curiosity Shop

(cw: body horror; uncanny valley; organs; items made from body parts; anatomical models)

Also on ADI's radar this month is Things of Beauty, a small antiques and curiosity shop in the heart of the city. It seems the shop has recently made radical changes to its inventory and marketing; seemingly overnight the previously sleepy little shop full of run of the mill antiques is now home to a bizarre assortment of unsettling curios of unspecified origin. A local-born staff member had brought the matter to the attention of ADI's higher-ups after observing the sudden change to what had been a local institution, if a quietly failing one (and an equally sudden influx of curious tourists at the shop), and off-worlders have now been requested to engage in subtle investigations into the matter.

Those who take on the work will be given a small allowance for purchases from Things of Beauty. Their mission is to observe the comings and goings in the shop for anything suspicious, take note of the inventory, and bring back sample items for testing (failing to bring back either the money or an item with a receipt will result in a black mark on one's employee record). You'll also be encouraged to try to get names of other customers, particularly any locals, to enable follow-up investigations in case the shop is distributing cursed objects to the general public. Above all, you are requested not to make a scene, as ADI's purpose in sending multiple off-worlders on separate visits (particularly new arrivals) is to get eyes on the scene without alerting the shop's owner or staff that they're under investigation. As such, you'll generally be dropped off a few blocks from the shop in pairs at various times of the day.

Things of Beauty itself might be described as cozy if only it weren't for the shelves upon shelves of uncomfortably organic-looking or body-themed knickknacks. Selections include beads and small toys carved from bone; half-animal, half-vegetable figurines; squeeze toys with realistic plastic guts that pop out of their mouths; and dolls that double as anatomical models, among others.

The shop is manned most of the time by its owner, Kahlil Nassiri. He's friendly enough but avoids engaging in conversation beyond small talk and won't respond to any questions about the change in inventory--if pressed, he'll find some excuse to go to the back room to deal with some urgent business there instead of continuing the conversation. Best not to take advantage of his absence, though; the shop does have security cameras.

➥ Screen Magic

(cw: ghosts, compulsion, potential for violence, severe injury, severed limbs)

TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have all been buzzing with the latest meme: Real Magic? Real Magic! Cut together clips of what seems to be stage magic that can be explained followed by seemingly inexplicable 'real magic.' Fire, electricity, phasing through materials, flying… An endless parade of amateur and more expert videos have been popping up.

Some of them have been catching ADI's eyes as they seem like they might be legitimate. Particularly the ones with IP addresses that indicate they're relatively local. It's not the high production-value ones that ADI seems to be most concerned with, but rather, the ones where there's unusual blurring, distortion, or warping associated with the videos. For the most part, these are the ones that are, in fact, being roundly trounced on social media as being poor fakes.

ADI doesn't think so.

Given the sheer volume of these, they're farming out investigations to staff. Everyone will find themselves partnered up with another person and given a video or someone's account to investigate. The videos being investigated have all come from relatively local IP addresses, and ADI is requesting people track down the creators of the videos or the sites where the filming is occurring. More veteran off-worlders might well recognize one of the locations within the video. Or the tech savvy may be able to pinpoint a more specific location.

By and large, characters will discover that the videos are, in fact, fakes. But perhaps you'll get lucky. Perhaps you'll find someone who's got wrapped up with a cursed object or you'll find a location where something truly supernatural is going on. Strange toys that seem to move when you're not watching are especially prevalent around Dogtown, and ghostly figures linger in town, particularly in the remote graveyards and railyard just after sunset.

If the toys manage to reach you, you'll find yourself with an impulsive desire to stab someone. Just… one stab. Just a little violence. The spectral figures have a similarly vicious streak attached to them. Those who get too close to try to communicate will hear strange music, and find themselves compelled to inflict violence on the next person they come across. Violence that might coincide with whatever injuries appear to be present on the ghosts. A stab, a severed limb, maybe something else… Just the attempt at inflicting this violence seems to sate the bloodlust. For now.

➥ Mod Notes

• ARRIVAL (Nov 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.
  
  
• BOTH SIDES NOW (Nov 1 - 31): The descending clouds will cause characters to experience anxiety over the sheer number and size of problems in their lives. Even minor concerns will become mountainous, seemingly insurmountable in the face of everything else. Leaving Dogtown will stop the effects immediately. If a character remains in Dogtown to see the clouds come down all the way, they will be taken by an Entity to suffer a fate worse than death. Please bear in mind that if a character comes to this in the TDM prompt, they are gone. A different version who doesn't have TDM memories may be apped in their place.
  
  
• CURIOSITY SHOP (Nov 1-31): As Kahlil will not be available as a mod-played NPC for this prompt, players are requested to assume he generally avoids conversation. If you have any questions about how he or any unnamed NPCs would react to particular situations, please use the mod questions thread below. Characters who look into the shop's background will find that until very recently it was a completely ordinary antiques shop originally run by Kahlil's parents before he inherited it around ten years ago, and that the shop and its owner have been struggling financially. Items obtained from the shop will have no apparent supernatural effects whatsoever.
  
  
• SCREEN MAGIC (Nov 1-31): The videos your characters are investigating may be anything with a seemingly supernatural component. If you find an NPC making them, they will be an ordinary person (usually on the younger side) who has simply stumbled across something extraordinary. More likely, they're someone who's just faked what was on the screen and will be very upset that you're harshing their meme groove. It's just TikTok! It's just IG! They're doing it for the views! Toys in this prompt will vanish once they get close to your character or if a character destroys them. They cannot be collected. Ghosts will similarly vanish if characters get too close. Trying to communicate with them via ordinary or supernatural means will result in characters hearing strange music and feeling an overwhelming compulsion to go and inflict violence on the next person they see.

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Comments

QUESTIONS

[apocalypsehowmods]

[cacophonish]

re the curiosity shop: if Jeff were to chill out nearby doing his street musician thing (like a super cool stakeout), would he be able to notice anyone/anything weird or noteworthy coming in and out of the shop? Repeat customers, or Breekon & Hope a delivery truck or anything?

Satoko Houjou | Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni

[godsyndrome]

ARRIVAL

[ The girl who’s found herself stuck in the strange, dark supply closet must be no more than twelve years old, if that. With nothing with her but the clothes on her back, to have found herself kidnapped – at least, as far as she’s concerned – with no way to fight back... it must be a terrifying situation.

But she doesn’t cry. Even if her legs are ever-so-slightly shaking, and despite the terror she feels…

Satoko will be strong. She has to be.

After all, she’s survived through situations just as bad as this before, hasn’t she? When the Mountain Hounds came after her and Rika, they managed to be brave and fight back – and they survived, against all odds. All of the members of Mion’s club managed to create a miracle with their own hands - and so, this will be just like before. Anyway, she tells herself, whoever’s done this can’t want her dead, because if they dead, she wouldn’t be alive and breathing. That’s one advantage she has. Clearly, they don’t know just who it is they’ve kidnapped, but Houjou Satoko has no plans of showing them any mercy!

...Of course, She is alone. But… that doesn’t matter. The lessons she’s learned from her friends are still with her in her mind, and besides, they’d never forgive her if she didn’t return to them, would they? That’s why she has to get home.

So she bites her lip, clenches her trembling fists, and looks around the room for anything that might come in handy.

After a few minutes have passed, if you approach her from outside the room, well, let’s hope you happened to be looking down... because a long string stretched along the bottom of the floor might trip you up if you’re not paying attention. It’s a basic trap, but if you do fall, Satoko will be there in an instant, ready to jab a particularly sharp looking pencil in your direction… There aren’t many choices of weapons in here, but that would still hurt! ]

BOTH SIDES NOW

[ Satoko had been warned about the supernatural horrors she could expect to find in this place… at least briefly. She hadn’t been sure how much she believed it – at least, all of it – after all, the way they’d “taught” her English alone was enough to make her a pretty quick believer. But this… this is something else.

At first, she was sure she’d been imagining it. She’d played it off as her imagination; a trick of the mind. But… no, that wasn’t right. The clouds… they hadn’t been that close before, had they?

Now, though, it’s unmistakable. Somehow, though she can’t possibly comprehend it, the sky itself is alive, and it’s going to swallow her whole. She’s been reduced to nothing but a mere meal for something she can’t understand at all. The clouds have already descended a considerable amount, and though Satoko knows she needs to keep running, she can’t seem to bring herself to move.

Why!? She’s screaming at body to get on with it, but it’s as if she’s not in control of herself at all. Somehow, everything seems more terrifying than it had just hours ago… how had she ever thought she’d make it back to Hinamizawa alive? How had she ever thought that she could be strong? In the end, she’s still just the weak little girl she’s always been. Her brother will never come home – she’s never seeing him again.

Those thoughts spin around and around in her head like a carousel, keeping her paralyzed. She’s almost out of Dogtown. She knows that much, but… why would this end there? Why did she ever assume that she even could get away from this awful fate? Those fears are eating at her relentlessly, and she can't seem to escape.

As she spots you, she meets your gaze with wide eyes, and though she doesn’t speak - her expression can’t be mistaken for anything but a desperate plea for help. ]

SCREEN MAGIC

Hmm… I don’t see anything particularly unusual…

[ Satoko says out loud as she looks around, peering down the alleyway and up the streets in an attempt to spot anything out of place. Perhaps the video was yet another fake? She wouldn’t complain if that was the case – to be honest, the incident with the descending sky has left her just a little shell-shocked. But here she is, out in a strange place again, practically inviting the supernatural forces of the world to come and snatch her up where she stands…

It’s not like she’s afraid, okay? Well, maybe she is just a little. But if she’s escaped before, she can do it again, right?

Right. After another brief look around, turning to you, she suddenly puts her hands on her hips and laughs haughtily. ]

Ohohoho! It would seem that the ghosts are too afraid to come out and say hello. I certainly can’t blame them! …Wouldn’t you agree?

[ Just as she says that, you might spot a flicker of movement in the distance behind her – something that doesn’t look quite right. But then again, it might just be your imagination… right? ]

WILDCARD

[ Feel free to throw anything at Satoko here! I've taken her from post-matsuribayashi-hen, to those it might be relevant to, and I'm available for plotting at Rivenix if you'd like as well! ]

arrival

[septieme]

[A small shadow darted in here, didn't it? Ciel could swear she saw something, and her gut feeling tells her it's not just her imagination. But these are ADI headquarters, and the upper floors have a well documented history of panicked and confused new arrival. In that case...

She doesn't open the door, but knocks first.]

Hello? Is anyone in there?

[Spoken in default English as that's what they all get defaulted too, but even if whoever's inside isn't already fluent, maybe her soft and questioning tone will convey enough?]

screen magic

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She smiles, amused. She's not so sure this is a bust entirely, but at this point Aelwyn can't bring herself to be entirely scared of such a minor haunting.]

Yes, we're very scary. No doubt, just the sight of us caused them to run with their ghostly tails between their legs.

[She spots a flicker of movement, just in the corner of her eyes, and her eyes narrow at it.] Best be careful, just in case, though.

Kurapika | Hunter x Hunter

[chainreactions]

𝒾. 𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝓋𝒶𝓁
cw. slight gore, eyeless corpses mention, genocide

(Last Kurapika remembers, he had been on a boat for a while now, going straight to uncharted territory with little to no information of the fatal dangers that await for him once it lands. It's not something he can afford to worry about right about now, with a gun in his hands and a baby girl to protect while a violent war silently sneaks through the vessel and the man who stands between Kurapika and his goal stands in his way. The remainder of the scarlet eyes, taken from each and every corpse of his fallen brethren, leaving Kurapika the sole survivor whose mission is to honor their existence by retrieving them. May he do that so his comrades and family rest in peace.

It's a lot. Kurapika arguably could use about five cups of coffee and a hug, not that he'd accept the latter.

A bathroom is where he finds himself standing now, unlike the room he had been with Queen Oito and the rest of her crew, tension stabbing all like a knife to the ribs. Maybe it is a blessing to have a gun, because as soon as he sees someone else, that's where it points to.)

Who are you, where am I?!

(What's not a blessing is that his language is unfamiliar to this world. A big problem here comes.)

𝒾𝒾. 𝒷𝑜𝓉𝒽 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓌

(Kurapika only accepts the company for one reason alone - he has to know what kind of people have been transported here, is there a connection? A pattern in behavior that prompts the universe to suck in a specific type, if any? Or perhaps it is truly at random, but there is no way of knowing without thorough investigation of his fellow kidnaped, after all.

If only Kurapika wasn't so goddamn introverted. Under the cold, reserved exterior, lies someone kind and caring, too loving for his own good -- but that comes out later, sometime in which Kurapika isn't completely focused on the mission and in his ulterior motives.

As the duo make their way to Dogtown, he finally speaks, a voice that has a hint of femininity in his tone, albeit firm and calm:)

What's your name again?

(He totally remembers the name. He just needs an excuse for an opening for conversation.)

𝒾𝒾𝒾. 𝓈𝒸𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓂𝒶𝑔𝒾𝒸
cw. ghosts, compulsion, violence

(When Kurapika gets his hands on one more mission, he knows exactly where to search for these supernatural sightings. Dogtown has already given him a bad time, and he reckons it's there where it's the most likely to find something real. He's read on this, he's experienced it.

He walks through the graveyard, a stab in his heart as he takes a moment to leave flowers at each grave. Someone's sister, someone's wife, someone's husband... He hasn't visited his kin in forever, has he?

It's when the music hit his ears, breaking the introspective melancholy Kurapika finds himself drowning in. Anger, all his rage, boil over to his skin in less than a moment, his eyes turning scarlet as a reaction to the surreal emotion wave that crashes through his body.

It's Hunt time.)

𝒾𝓋. 𝓁𝒾𝒷𝓇𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒

(Needless to say, Kurapika hasn't made the best impression upon arriving. Pointing a gun at the first person who greets him, having an existential crisis as the sky falls upon his helpless body, and inflicting disgusting, unnecessary violence upon people who have done nothing to him. The aura around him is of gloom, sadness as he buries himself in the mountain of books he's checked from the library, trying to understand the world and its culture so he can properly find a way to fit in.

It's not like he hasn't done it before.

Approach him, ask him what he's reading, give him a chance to be "normal", please.)

𝓋. 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝒹𝒸𝒶𝓇𝒹

(Feel free to throw anything my way, or hit me up at newmeatjb to discuss! If you'd like to handwave going on missions with Kurapika and just hitting the last prompt, that is okay with me as well! He'd love to apologize profusely.)

Both Sides Now

[onerous]

[Yuri is, as always, quiet and observant, an expression on her face that, unfortunately, just makes her look generally Upset at the world, moments away from crying. The person who'd given them their assignment had actually taken a moment to ask if Yuri was okay, to which she'd responded with a tired, resigned tone of someone far too used to this question that she was just fine, that was just her face, thank you.

She didn't like this, the idea of searching for paranormal activity. This was already her every day life, did she really need it here in a brand new world?

Still, she doesn't complain, feeling a chasm of awkwardness opening up in her as the silence stretches between her and her companion. A little voice in her had that sounds like her mentor gently encourages her to talk, to open up, to make friends but it feels like her mouth is sealed shut with taffy.

It's almost a relief that Kurapika speaks up first, because Yuri breathes a sigh of relief, some of the tension bleeding from her shoulders.]

Yuri. My name's Yuri. Ah, I'm one of the... new arrivals. [Which feels odd to say for entirely different reasons, the entire thing is still odd to think about and she's been spirited away before]

library time.

[tostand]

[ Mikasa has an equally bad time with people she doesn't recognise and has found herself in her fair share of trouble; she's more inclined to have bruised knuckles and a snarling mouth than she is to have any sort of kindness and it shows in the way she treats the people that speak to her. She's standoffish, "gloomy", as her captain would have called her, and beyond irritable.

Desperately missing Armin and wishing that there was somewhere else in the world she could be, she finds herself in the library. Her scarf is tucked up high on her face, her expression sour as she wanders through the books, trying to find something that she finds familiar, trying to find some sort of knowledge that references what she knows.

Titans. Monsters. Marley. The things beyond her reach, now, her hands stained with blood.

She doesn't intentionally knock into books, but her eyes do widen, just a little, as painfully quick fingers shoot out to grab them before they fall over. ]

Sorry.

iii. heh's violently

[inutilis]

[ the sight of a priest is not all too unusual amongst the morose setting of a graveyard, is it not? suppose it shouldn't be, generally speaking -- though it would be hard to pick Abel out for a man of his particular profession considering he's dressed rather plainly in a white dress shirt and black slacks beneath the hang of a non-descript black longcoat gifted to him when he'd arrived. only the rosary -- albeit ornate and heavy -- might give an onlooker any clue to his occupation.

it doesn't much matter; Abel isn't here in the function of his duties as a priest. he isn't here on the behest of ADI, either; his reason is a more personal one. his current task has been slowly perusing the names of souls laid to rest here, some of the grave markers and stones old and weathered from time and the elements; occasionally he makes the sign of the cross, or brushes the dirt and debris from nearby trees from the top of a headstone.

...a little pre-occupied, perhaps a bit more distracted than normal -- so he doesn't immediately notice that his trek to a usually unpopulated destination has found him some company, today. his distance -- moderate; he is at least several gravestones away from Kurapika -- means Abel is not privy to the... enthralling music the young man can hear, nor its source. all he sees is someone paying their respects, the flowers lightly held in Kurapika's hand something that has Abel's eyes softening.

he doesn't want to disturb the young man's efforts to pay his respects, and he's about to turn and take a little walk in the other direction to give him some privacy, but... it isn't until he takes his first step to half-turn that he sees a sort of unnatural rigidity crawl up Kurapika's spine, rendering the sit of his shoulders tense, squared. as if he had been spooked. ...no, that isn't quite it, is it? ]

Sir...?

[ Abel is hesitating, brow faintly knit. rumors of Dogtown and its specters -- real, or otherwise -- aren't lost to him. had the young man seen something?

or is that unsettling feeling that is beginning to needle down Abel's spine... something else? ]

Are you-- ah... it's none of my business, but-- is everything okay?

𝒾. 𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝓋𝒶𝓁

[murderology]

[ Oh, yep. That's a gun.

As soon as Jerry exits a stall and notices a new face (not necessarily a newbie face, just a face he hasn't seen before — quite a few of those seeing as he's new himself) his intention is to greet him with a wave and a "howdy", except what comes out instead is—]

Howd—oh shit.

[ The wave turns into the universal (hopefully) placating gesture of raised hands, brows slowly rising as he wonders what in the fuck? But when the other speaks a language he doesn't understand it hits him pretty quick, realization flashing across his face as he nods his head in understanding. Ah, of course, of course.

Well, this is a doozy. He opts for keeping his tone calm and his words spoken slowly in the hopes of coming across as nonthreatening.

If the Mickey Mouse shirt didn't help with that already, that is.]

Uh, heeyyyy so...[ With his hands still raised, he points to one of the sinks. ] Are you gonna shoot me if I just wash my hands real quick?

closed to abel

[chainreactions]

(Embarrassment is too small of a concept to describe just how upset Kurapika was at his actions. It wasn't like him and it totally was altogether, but most importantly, this man had nothing to do with it. Once Kurapika returns to ADI, he starts his research to who the man was, and eventually, he finds an apartment number. With flowers in one hand, and a cupcake on the other, Kurapika knocks gently upon the wood.

Hopefully the man has in him to forgive him, even if his edgelord self doesn't have it in him to forgive himself.)

nero // devil may cry

[sassery]

[arrival.

So, really, with all this bullshit going around, it's no surprise that yet again, another newcomer has arrived. Or, well, not so much arrived as he's banging hard against the janitor's door in surprise- who the fuck suddenly just turns a corner and is suddenly in a closet? Nero's been through a Lot of Shit(TM), and this is definitely different.

That door, at least, busts open a minute or so later with a bit of force, supplies tumbling into the hallway as well. Out comes one (1) shitposter with a very odd assortment of weapons that definitely do not look like it's for normal, everyday stuff. Sorry if he's suddenly made a mess, he's at least shrugging and looking apologetic to whoever's nearby.]

What- don't tell me you'd wanna be stuck in there. [It's no big to end up somewhere weird, most of the time. Compared to walking out of a bus that went tumbling from the top of a building and took him with it, this is hilariously tame.

curiosity shop. cw: bones

Okay, so this? Nnnnnnnnnot his thing. Like, at all. Subtlety? Don't cause a scene??? Quietly take notes? Sounds fake, but ok. He'll play along for now.

All that is to say that he's basically trying not to cause any attention on himself and keeping more to a corner so he can people watch, rather than try to snoop on every little item around here. That's the thing, though- he tries, but there's so much shit here that's weirdly organic and animal looking to be just an offshot.

One in particular catches his eye, and he tries to get the attention of whoever's with him, jerking his head just a little at it. The set of objects looks like a bunch of normal toys, until you look closer- the animal balloons or household toys all have anatomical bones inside them, making it incredibly morbid.]

...definitely not what I expected to find. Not as crazy as some of the shit I've seen, but that's still weird as hell.

[Are they supposed to buy these things??????? Find who does buy them? This is so out of his territory.

screen magic.]

What the hell- [Yeah, uh. That sure was a figure he didn't recognize just kind of making its way through the railyard.] You see that?

[Please tell him he's not just being tricked here, because he's going right off to chase after it, because he's convinced it's some kinda kid playing a prank.] Hey, asshole, wait up!!

[IS SOMEONE GONNA CHASE AFTER HIM OR STOP HIM? This is what he does 100% of the time, so self-preservation is really out the window, here.

wildcard.

Have an idea? hmu at chromadestino! Give me something and I can usually run with it.]

screen magic

[chainreactions]

Will you be quiet?!

(God, missing braincells on this one? They don't know what that is, who that is, whether it's something worth of ADI research or just a kid, and even if had been the latter, they might be less inclined to answer questions now that this classless brute yelled at them for no reason.

So, much like Kurapika would a cat, he's holding Nero by the collar. Idiot.)

Yuri Kozukata | Fatal Frame 5

[onerous]

A. Arrival

[You know what's unfortunately not weird for Yuri? Going to sleep and waking up in some entirely different place.

What is weird is the fact she seemed to wake up in an...office? This was definitely a desk she'd woken up under, and Yuri lays curled up there for a moment or two just listening and trying to figure out what was going on. The floor seemed abandoned--or perhaps everyone was just out, or...something? Either way, Yuri thought she might be alone as she slowly eased the office chair out and crawled out from under the desk.

Shaking her head to clear it, she poked her head around a cubicle and walked into the walkway, brow furrowed in confusion.]

Ah...Excuse me? Is someone here? [She spoke first in Japanese before glancing at the desk nearest her and noting the English words. She wasn't particularly confident in her English, but she tried again hesitantly]

E-excuse me?

B. both Sides Now

I... don't like the look of the sky.

[Yuri speaks up for possibly the first time since she and her partner started their little hike, not sure how to even begin conversation sometimes. Still, this seemed like something worth speaking up about, frowning uncertainly at the ominous clouds overhead.]

It feels...wrong.

C. Curiosity Shop

[Yuri's been awkwardly coming and going to and from the shop often enough that some other shoppers are starting to notice, trying to tease her that maybe she has a crush on someone or something.

Yuri doesn't take the bait, just lowering her gaze and mumbling something about it being comfortable there.

Which is exceedingly odd given how off the place is, but Yuri doesn't seem to mind. She picks up an antique teacup and looks it over, turning it in her hands. She glances up when she sees someone else, possibly vaguely recognizing them around around the headquarters.]

It's a little nostalgic here. [She speaks up, attempting conversation with a shy, sheepish sort of smile] I worked and lived at an antique shop. It doubled as a cafe. [She trails off and puts the teacup down, looking around at the immediate shelves]

...This place isn't giving me any sort of feeling though. My abilities really won't work much anymore, huh...

D. Wildcard

[The wildcard option, for everything else!]

A!

[simulatio]

Ah?

[It's the soft-spoken Japanese that catches Akechi's attention, more than the voice itself. These days, it's become a language he speaks regularly with only one other person, when it used to be the only language he was fluent in.

He shifts the paperwork he was going to file to one arm and changes direction, heading toward the voice he'd heard even as it switches to hesitant English. After the events of the last few weeks, with the strange music and horrifying nightmares, he's more wary than perhaps a normal person should be. Having a hand free to reach for a weapon if need be is something of a comfort, even if the girl he sees as he rounds the corner of the cubicles doesn't immediately look like a threat.]

Are you lost? [he asks in Japanese, wine-red eyes flicking over her in an attempt to see if he recognizes her.]

Shuten-Douji | Fate/Grand Order

[sakaya]

CW: Mentions of consumption of bodies, mild gore, lots of alcohol and some sexual innuendo in further tags.

i. Arrival — Canteen

[ Waking up in an unknown location is not an entirely strange thing for the Assassin Servant, Shuten-Douji. Her limbs feel a little loose as if a particularly strong drink had finally incapacitated her and while the fog clears in her mind, the oni is more than aware that her strength is not at the level it should be. She decides to wait it out and get a lay of the land as these 'ADI' individuals quickly usher new arrivals from the foyer into the elevator. When offered a coat by a cautious employee, Shuten simply smiles, showing off her sharp teeth, and calls the man a dear for being so considerate — but he and the others are more than welcome to keep looking.

They leave her alone after that and throughout orientation.

When all is said and done, Shuten finds herself immediately bored. The Apocalypse Disruption Initiative was similar to Chaldea; save the world, prevent the disaster that would spell the end of all living things in some manner.

Well, she can ponder over all these things over a drink and a snack. That is if she can find anything worth munching on. There were a lot of humans around, but it's not within Shuten's habit to just rip off the limbs of the closest person out of nowhere.

Not yet anyway.

For now, she'll settle on raiding the fridge in the Canteen much to the chagrin of the other ADI employees currently taking their lunch. Anyone who has just arrived or have settled in will see a small woman with horns casually tossing out plastic lunchboxes and other containers as she searches for a certain something to pass the time. ]

Goodness. Do you people have impending apocalypses every other week and not a drop to drink? How do you function I wonder?

ii. Curiosity Shop

[ It was a shame that the shopkeeper was avoiding his customers so adamantly. The given mission from ADI to investigate the Things of Beauty shop would be a cakewalk if she could get him in one place and lower his defenses. Ah, well, a shop of curiosities is bound to have something interesting right? Certainly nothing beautiful, unfortunately.

Well, except maybe this neat shiny skull and the toys fashioned out of animal bone. How quaint. Shuten is admiring said skull, turning it in her hands. ]

How fascinating! A bit of a waste of a good skull, but it's not like the contents beneath or above are real anyways. I could have melted it down to make a nice brew...

iii. Screen Magic — Make Your Own Fun

[ One can hear a child scream from one of the local streets. Said child will run right past anyone who happens to be in the area. Follow their trail and a dropped phone with a cracked screen can be seen laying on the street. The smell of sake grows stronger and stronger until you reach a tree where Shuten is lazily sitting on a branch, back against the trunk and drinking from her sake cup. ]

Hm?

[ She glances down at the person investigating and in the direction of where the child ran off. ]

I just told the brat to stop playing around with those flat screens with those silly videos that seem to be causing a fuss. A bit of a scare does them good you know?

[ She takes another sip of her sake. ]

I hope you'll be more fun to converse with than some child... Things only adults can do.

v. Wildcard

[ OOC: Feel free to hit me up via DMs or on maiscribbles if you want an exclusive prompt or want to hash out an idea for a top level! ]

iii

[sorser]

[The man glancing up at Shuten looks normal, or at least as normal as one might define a sorcerer named Strange. Perhaps more accurate is the notion that he’s dressed normally, any indication of oddness merely resting snug against his fingers — the gold glint of a sling ring.

It shines a little as he gestures up at her, clearly unamused.]

‘A bit of a scare’ doesn’t do anyone any good around here. Maybe you should come down from up high and stop giving innocent kids a cardiac event without any reason whatsoever.

[Nothing can come from someone who lounges so casually in a tree, much less who drinks sake so strong and almost-saccharine that it nearly makes his nose wrinkle. This woman’s trouble, he thinks, and maybe that’s unfair based on a passing first impression alone.

But he doesn’t think so.]

Liv Moore | iZombie

[hippochompus]

1 ] Arrival

Having found herself in a handy-dandy office supplies closet, Liv is a bit perplexed by the situation. A moment ago, she'd been in the morgue, talking Ravi up about justice. It was the brain she was on, okay? She'd devoured a vigilante's orbital lobe and now found herself obsessed with crime and stopping it. There's no crime to be found in a place like this, but she can't help but look at the rows and rows of paperclips like they're hiding something from her.

Trying to find her way out is secondary. Figuring out why she's here is the most important thing - and whether there's anything useful to her here. So she's making a lot of noise as she goes through the various contents of the supply cabinet. Is this what would be referred to as shambling?

2 ] Both Sides Now

The clouds in the sky don't escape her. And she's ready to talk about it.

"It's a dark time," she says, her hands on her hips as she talks to - rather than with - the person that's with her. "Uncertainly looms behind all corners, as we work for this intrepid organization. They wish us to look for clues, but what do we find but the promise of a storm on the horizon?"

She's a bit distracted from the actual point, here.

3 ] Curiosity Shop

Pretending to shop is the name of the game here and it's not one that Liv is hesitant to take. She's ooh'ing and aah'ing over a eerily correct model of a brain. It has little parts you can remove, but the point isn't really clear. It's making her hungry - the brain is starting to wear off and she's in need of more. But she has no idea where her next meal will come from yet. Its not like the ADI has a handy morgue.

"...are we supposed to spend actual cash here?" she asks her partner, hush hush to the side. "It's not like they give us much of it."

3

[henchgal]

"That's pretty deliberate, them not giving us much. Control mechanism, just like how they don't give us actual ID that'll stand up to much scrutiny. We end up reliant on them. It's a thing."

Meredith shrugs slightly. "Capitalist hellscape, emphasis on the hell."

Loki | Marvel Comics

[meforsaken]

i arrival

[Once upon a time, Loki suddenly manifested in a random bathroom. Because apparently that's how this story's going to start. If he's surprised, it doesn't show on his face. More than anything, he seems intrigued by what otherwise is a pretty ordinary bathroom. If you happen to have been using it at the time, or have also suddenly manifested, he doesn't yet focus in on you. The bathroom itself's more interesting apparently.

He leans in close to the mirror, gazing at his reflection.]

Still getting used to that, yeah.

[Loki wiggles his toes on the cold linoleum because yep, this form doesn't wear shoes.]

Right... I might need to reconsider that one. Very mystical, folkloric even, but I don't know about the practicality of it all. What do you think, Verity?

[No answer. He looks to a bracelet on his wrist, maybe now giving the consideration that this is a weird situation to be in. And then he looks to you.]

You're not Verity, are you? I feel like I could tell if you were. But new story, new rules, new me, new you possibly?

[Oh yeah, whatever your native language is? He's seemingly been speaking it perfectly this whole time. Little god things.]

ii curiosity shop

[What luck! You've either been chosen to go on this mission with Loki or you just happen to be in the shop at the same time as her. No matter the case, she slips away and starts going through items on her own. Until, she sneaks up behind you with a vegetable giraffe!]

Boo. Cute, isn't it? Honestly, all secret agent whatever stuff aside, these things're great.

[She doesn't bother lowering her voice. In fact, she might be speaking slightly louder than usual.]

Is this really worth an investigation, you think?

iii screen magic

[Tracking down one of these videos will lead you to find Loki, taking shaky bad quality videos of their own magic on a burner phone. Right now, they're in the middle of conjuring random items for a TikTok. Noticing someone watching them, they turn to look at you, squinting. Holding a conjured rubber ducky, they tilt their head.]

Did you hear that Vine is dead?

arrival

[sorser]

[One can always rely on the new arrivals to shake things up over at ADI headquarters. Stephen’s met a few tumbling out of an overhead vent, or stuck in a broom closet, or have come in bloodied and battered and ushered into the medical department with a less-than-pleasant disposition.

Today? One of them is literally materializing out of nowhere while he’s at a sink, washing his hands. The cool sensation of water running over his skin is little more than a faint distraction with this very new development.

Stephen’s brows knit together. Never mind the secondhand familiarity that strikes him just by looking at this newcomer, but the rhetoric spilling his way is equal parts baffling and whimsical.]

…No.

[Seems like a safe place to start.]

Same me, give or take a few gray hairs over the years. [Clearly he thinks he’s clever.] So, “new story”? I guess this is the part where I roll out the welcome wagon.

[Which is just. Him. In this bathroom. Exciting!]

salt novak | original

[enhabit]

» i. arrival — maintenance duct.

[ Salt wakes up.

That alone isn't all that strange, because they can remember falling asleep, but once they are awake, they're immediately aware that there's something wrong. The space around them is very close, hemming them in, pressing and pushing. Their hands press outwards to feel the shape of their prison. Very angular. Cold metal. Their skin tingles.

Salt's fingertips skim ahead of them and brush over something that feels like a grate. Still metal, but slatted, and they can stick their fingers between the gaps and wiggle a little. Feeling optimistic, they give it a push, but it stays firm. Of course it does, it's metal. Probably bolted and locked into place. ]

I don't like this.

[ It's partially a simple acknowledgement of their situation, which is why their tone sounds so light. But acknowledging it only gets them so far, and that's not very far at all, and so they curl their hand into a fist and bang on the grate. It rattles loudly. ]

» ii. adi headquarters — entrance foyer.

[ Salt hasn't been here long, but they've listened to the spiel from the agents, understood the importance of the place and the work that's being done here, and have no great opposition to sticking around. But a few days after they arrived, Salt is in the foyer looking distinctly uncomfortable, thumbnail between their teeth as they glance around the place, the grey of their pupils flashing yellow-white in the lights.

Eventually, apparently with no prompting, they're spurred into action, and take a few brisk steps in the direction of someone they recognise as another recruit, another person from somewhere else. ]

Sorry. Hello. Sorry. [ They reach out to grab the person's arm, around the elbow, to make sure they stay. It's not rudeness or an attempt to control, just desperation. ] I'm sorry. I want to ask you a question. I would like to talk to you.

» iii. both sides now.

What will you do? With your one hundred dollars.

[ Salt asks this with some degree of curiosity as they and their partner are walking through the park together. Their accent isn't especially strong, which makes it difficult to place, and they speak with a strange, almost stilted manner, slow and then fast. They're wrapped up fairly extensively, hands buried in their pockets, nose and mouth tucked behind a scarf, but the greyish-white of their pupils flashes over to their partner. ]

I'll save mine. For a rainy day.

[ As if on cue, the sky rumbles, not for the first time today. Salt slows to a stop and looks up, watching the heavy grey clouds gathering above them both. They look heavy. Hungry. ]

Does this count as peculiar?

» iv. wildcard.

[ hmu if you want to do something else! i'm crowders if you want to chat ooc :^) ]

ii

[sorser]

[There's no helping it when he's grabbed by the arm, forced to halt his step on his way out of the ADI building. But more grounding, perhaps, is the desperation so prevalent in this stranger's demeanor; their tone, the rigid lines of their frame, the multiple apologies.]

You can let go. I won't fly off.

[It sounds curt, but it's supposed to be a reassurance, the best he can manage without warning. Stephen turns to face them properly, regardless of whether or not they've let go.]

What is it?

Raylan Givens | Justified

[tinstar]

► Arrival

"What the hell?" The question seemed to echo out of the Janitor's closet, followed by the sounds of someone clattering and knocking things off the shelf - "Goddamnit-" and the door knob rattling unsuccessfully this way and that.

Raylan Givens had been oh so innocently heading down to the Judge's Chamber in the Lexington Courthouse, but the dark, bleach and pine-sol smelling room he suddenly found himself in was, to say the least, unfamiliar. As weird as that was, what was even weirder was the way he felt. The door wasn't locked but trying to turn the handle so quickly, the lean forward of his long frame, the all of a sudden TOO sudden movement, made Raylan's stomach turn in time with the spin of his vision. The normally astute Marshal was aware he was in some kind of Danger but for right now, what he needed and would take, was a few minutes.

Hat? Hat. Gun? Gun. He could worry about his badge or ID later. There weren't any terribly loud noises, so whoever drugged him (had to have been drugged, he reaffirms to himself) wasn't in a busy place or the walls were just that well insulated. In fact, he didn't hear anything outside his own heartbeat. The fact that he wasn't restrained told him that whoever got him here wasn't worried about him wandering around either.

After a few breaths, Raylan pushed to his feet and popped the button of his holster as he tries the door again - Successfully this time - to peer his way left and right out of the door with raised eyebrows as he starts to assess his situation. Not dumb enough to stay where he was left, Raylan started moving through the halls, propping himself up with his left hand on the far wall so he could draw his gun if needed.

First person he sees will be stopped with a raised hand and his lean form served to park himself in the middle of the proverbial hallway road with a lift of his eyebrows.

"Let me ask you somethin' - Where are we?" No hellos, no pussy footing around; Raylan had questions and he intended to get some answers.


► Both Sides Now

Raylan's first thought about Dogtown was 'What kind of name is DogTown' and with the warnings he had gotten about the supernatural goings on that he still wasn't sure he should believe, he aimed to be careful. Despite the answers he'd been given - I don't know's were acceptable, as long as they were honest and Raylan didn't sense a lot of bullshit off of the people that had filled him in - he still didn't trust it all. There was a vault of suspicion healthily kept in reach, waiting to be proven right.

What does he do with that? The Job given to him. Even if he was reasonably sure they were being used as guinea pigs for something, they'd left him his gun and a phone. And someone to help.

But those comforts were quickly shaken once his eyes hit the sky and the long pace of his legs stumbled to a halt, one hand casting out to stop and hold back whoever was lucky enough to be saddled with the Marshal. "Somethin's wrong," he muttered the obvious, hand dropping as his head tilted at the changes.  Kentucky wasn't a stranger to storms, but more tornados and rainstorms than anything else, so Raylan was used to seeing the sky loom and turn green in ominous threat.

That wasn't this.

Even though they were outside, he felt like he couldn't breathe, like the sky was slowly pressing down on him and pushing all the oxygen from his body and it was with a creeping horror that he realized the trees might cave in on them. Cave in on them? That wasn't right either. His hand worked on his pistol grip.

"We need to leave, right now," he stated, turning to his new partner with an intense look of seriousness. Raylan didn't panic, he moved.

►Curiosity Shop

History was stored and traded and sold away in pawn shops, along with a whole lot of junk and desperation, the latter of which being the reason that one (1) lanky cowboy had wandered in. He still hadn't quite settled in any kind of true way, but he was starting to understand the rules. One of which was 'Quiet Time is Good'. And what better way to spend a Sunday - was it Sunday? Did that even really matter anymore? - then meandering through whatever history this place had accumulated.

Too bad he wouldn't find the same kind of Precious Angels knick-knacks and Dale Earnhardt Commemorative plates.

Instead, he found bits and bobs of horror and oddity - a clock that looked like it had a screaming face coming out of it's front, fingerbone salt and pepper shakers, a horse sized injection needle filled with what looked like maggots - and all just on one shelf! Raylan's head and chin retracted back into his neck in confused half disgust as he reached out to gingerly pull the injector off it's stand to inspect it more closely.

"Most bizarre shit I've seen today." A statement that was promptly proved wrong by a swing of his eyes to the right to catch what looked like a Suit made of teeth.

"Or I could be wrong." It was half a marveling statement. "Who thinks this shit up?"

[Feel free to Wildcard it too! Happy to adjust between prose/brackets as needed!]

Arrival

[inlieuofadad]

Gil had been going over some old files, comparing past paperwork and supernatural reports to some of the more recent things. Looking for patterns. Looking for something. All he can see is a mess of weirdness that has no right to exist.

He gets up with a growl, deciding to stretch his legs through one of the less occupied areas of the ADI offices. He slows when he sees the unfamiliar--very distinct--face, then stops when Raylan does. Then there's that question.

Gil sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. This is perfect. This is great. This is exactly what he needed right now, having to play tour guide and welcome wagon. There's probably a mixed metaphor in there somewhere that Jessica would be proud of, but he shies away from that thought almost as soon as it forms.

"Not in Kansas any more," Gil says dryly, before letting his hand drop and looking the man over with a more judicious eye. "More helpfully, Gloucester, Massachusetts. Less helpfully, it's not in whatever version of Earth you just came from. No, I'm not high, though I almost wish I was."

Kim Kitsuragi | Disco Elysium

[demerit]

I. Post-Arrival. (Library)
[He'd gone out to grab coffee, that's what he tells himself. It shouldn't have been more than a few minutes at the most, at yet the walk back turned out to be anything but familiar. The door to the hostel opened up to a hallway, and that hallway would lead him to nowhere familiar. Questions were asked, and his frustration was plenty. Kim didn't even have his coffee, and he swore his hand was still warm from it.

He's been wandering after getting an explanation that hasn't seemed to sink in yet, opening a door and slowing at what appears to be a library. Stacks of books, shelves filled with them and computer terminals. Familiar, but not too familiar.

Curling his fingers, he pulls out his notebook and moves to walk down one of the rows of shelves, seeing if anything makes sense. He's dreaming, he has to be. It's all a strange hallucination caused by a lack of sleep and strengthened by the last bits of adrenaline leaving his body. He'll wake up soon.] .... Hm. That's no good.

[He can read the spines of these books, which only makes him think that he's not dreaming, and that makes his stomach twist.]

II. Both Sides Now.
[Kim isn't superstitious but he has had a recent turn of events in his life that tells him it wouldn't be bad if he did a double-take every now and then, or if he opened his mind to other possibilities. This is less of a baby step however, and more like throwing a child into the ocean. It's an experiment in seeing how much a person can take, he's gathered from this all.

Still, it's better to take this seriously than risk it and get injured for the sake of thinking he knows better. This place is different, and there are no familiar faces. Glancing over his shoulder, Kim fixes his collar and nods his head to the other person he's been partnered with.]

... Can I make a suggestion? We should get away from that. [It'd be easier to blame this on his eyesight, but things like The Pale make Kim think: don't stick around to see.] Let's find a way lower, yes?

III. Screen Magic
[Technology is always changing, developing past what becomes the norm, and it's always a challenge to learn. What's new replaces the old, turns into the standard, and the cycle repeats. At least he knows how to investigate properly, even if this isn't as professional.]

What about that person over there? They look busy with... something. [He'd be lying if he said he understood everything that was told to them. Lips pursing together, Kim lets out a sigh.] Maybe you should take the lead?

IV. Wildcard.
[Go wild go crazy?]

I

[septieme]

That doesn't sound good, either...

[The bespectacled man's musing is interrupted by the pensive-sounding voice of an equally bespectacled young woman in office attire, who seems to have just stepped into the library with a book hugged against her chest. She hesitates, but only for a beat before taking a step towards his direction.]

Are you okay, mister?

Lindsey McDonald | Angel

[lookattheglass]

A. Arrival -

Of all the--he was about to win! He was in the middle of fighting Angel on top of a platform containing some unspeakable horror that was designed to destroy him, an absolutely perfect plan despite his original plans getting somewhat messed up a bit (how was he supposed to know that Cordelia was going to show up again)--and he was totally gonna win this fight when he just wasn't there anymore.

He's suddenly falling and lying flat on his back in the middle of a fairly pleasant office layout, sword in his hand, shirt hanging halfway off him with his rune visible all over his chest and stomach, and arms, blinking up at the fluorescent lights.

He's up immediately in seconds, looking around, expecting this was some sort of spell that one of Angel's stupid friends concocted to get him out of the fight. Wasn't this simply another floor of Wolfram and Hart? Probably one of the lower floors where all the low-level employees worked, nothing like his excellent office when he was a lawyer here.

"You cheat! Angel! You knew I would win so you cheated! Get out here and fight me!"

He's yelling at the ceiling and stabbing the wall with his sword.

B. Curiosity Shop -

Lindsey still isn't entirely convinced that this isn't some branch of Wolfram and Hart. Regardless, he's clearly been tossed into some alternate dimension, which happens sometimes, but he's also pretty sure that it was Angel's fault and probably some spell that his dumb little minions came up with.

Thing was, here? He might actually stand a better chance of getting a little further ahead. As much as he hated Angel and wanted to take him down, maybe this was actually a benefit. Maybe he could make it to the top of whatever hierarchy was running the joint and then bust a hole through the worlds, with enough power to squash Angel like a bug.

Oh man, that would be amazing.

Unusual Magic Shops were of course, a really great place to pick up a new spell or two, cursed items were always good to have with you at all times in case an opportunity presented itself. The trick would be not to get cursed yourself, of course, so he is very careful as he looks through the wares in Things of Beauty.

Lindsey makes a face at a little skeleton figurine, that looked like it might be carved from real bone, or maybe a creature that doesn't exist--or shouldn't exist. He slips a glove on his hand before touching the little cat skeleton--with too many limbs and too many tails.

"I'm sure this is a fake," he says casually to the nearest person to him.

C. Screen Magic -

Magic? Real magic?

He is all over this.

Despite Wolfram and Hart being cutting edge at the time, he's a little lost with the 'Gram and the 'Tok and the 'Tube and you know he had a state-of-the-art DVD player back at his apartment but apparently technology has advanced a little more than that, okay.

He's a little annoyed he's got to go with a partner, though. He can do this himself? And he's also planning to steal whatever magic he can get his hands on, and that's a little difficult to do when you were trying to play nice with ADI and pretend you were a team player, blah blah blah.

It's fine. He'll figure out how to ditch his partner and steal the magic. It'll be easy.

He looks mildly annoyed as he stands in front of the shabby little townhouse door, sending a glance towards his partner.

"Well? You wanna knock, or should I?"

C.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[Aelwyn would normally be a lot more friendly toward the newcomers, but she's got a bit of a chip on her shoulder now and is surly and annoyed the entire trip over.

This tiktok phenomena seems so far below their paygrade. But she needs money, and she needs to play along with ADI still, especially after all the damage last month did to her standing.

So when Lindsey asks his question while she's busy looking at her nails, she looks at him rather flatly.]

Lightly knocking on a wooden door? Oh, it's the highlight of the job...

Knock yourself out. [Pun... maybe intended.]

Sasuke Uchiha | Naruto: Shippuden | OTA

[rikudou]

I. Arrival
[ for those who happen to be passing by the bathrooms at adi, there's a chance they'll hear a loud splash. that'd be the sound of one very disgruntled ninja's foot landing in the toilet bowl as he steps through the interdimensional portal he's just opened up. there's exactly one second of silence before he mutters in japanese: ]

Is this another of her dimensions?

[ eyes narrowing, sasuke exits the bathroom stall. glowering, he surveys the unfamiliar surroundings of an ordinary modern day office bathroom. what seems to throw him off most, however, is seeing someone else present. in a flash, sasuke raises his chokutou, pointing the blade at the throat of the unfortunate soul who just happens to be passing through. ]

Who are you? Where is this?

[ the questions, still in japanese, are delivered in the deadpan cadence of a man who is completely oblivious to the bizarre nature of having one purple eye, string for a belt, tiddies out and a very wet right foot. ]

II. Network un: uchiha
[ right. so sasuke's gotten the full rundown on his current predicaent by now and surprising absolutely nobody, he isn't exactly thrilled about having accidnetally stumbled into this bullshit reality when there's a war going on back home and a problematic moon lady that has to be sealed back home. it takes sasuke a little more time than he'll ever admit to in order to get this network post going due to a complete lack of familiarity, but eventually there is a post. ]

Who here is a so-called "Avatar"? Explain your condition to me.

III. Docks (cw: illusions resulting in mental harm)
[ anyone who happens to be frequenting the docks at night may stumble across a cloaked figure, hood pulled just low enough to keep his face obscured with one of the local gabg members crumpled on the ground at his feet. there aren't any obvious signs of injury on the guy, except his expression is contorted with pain. for sasuke's part, he looks on utterly remorseless as his right eye, goes from red to black,

whether you choose to confront him about this or not, however, he seems to have noticed your presence in the area and before long, there's a quiet voice at your back. ]

What did you see?

IV. Curiosity Shop
[ sasuke could honestly care less for the grotesqueries being sold at the shop. somehow, the whole thing reminds him of the sorts of oddities orochimaru had once been fond of studying, which only adds to his level of distaste. it's when he comes across a bizarre figure of a man with his bones poking out through this skin that he finally remarks: ]

Are these figurines meant to represent different abilities possessed by those in this dimension?

V. Wildcard
[ if you'd like to do something different, feel free to throw me a wildcard. PM this journal if you'd like to plot something out. ]

Shop!

[romelle]

[ The only reason Romelle looks mostly reasonable right now is that her superiors have inisted on approving her outfit in person before she goes to a sensitive location. Her hair is down to cover her elf-like ears, and now for all intents and purposes she looks like a human girl with a love for pastels and novel make-up.

But what's with that young man--? Surely an ADI recruit, if he is mentioning dimensions, but...

Sasuke can have a whisper: ] You shouldn't be talking about such stuff in here...

[ Fundamentally she thinks the people have a right to know, but this creepy store is... maybe not the place. ]

Ken "Draken" Ryuguji | Tokyo Revengers

[dragonssoul]

ARRIVAL

[ It happens in, literally, a split second. It's not like he'd fainted or fallen asleep. All Draken does is walk through the door of the bike shop, out into the street outside, and suddenly...

...He finds himself in another place entirely.

Eyes widening in shock, he freezes - his mind trying to process what's going on. He can barely comprehend what he's seeing. It doesn't make any sense, he'd barely even blinked, so how the hell did he walk through the door and end up in what looks to be a completely foreign canteen? Is he going crazy??

The adrenaline kicks in all at once, and Draken turns around sharply, his whole body tense as he starts searching every inch of the room for anything- or anyone- that might mean to cause him harm. It doesn't take long for his gaze to settle on you, and then his eyes narrow; expression darkening. ]

Who are you!?

[ It seems he's assumed that you're some kind of threat. It might be a good time to de-escalate the situation... ]

CURIOSITY SHOP [cw: organs/body parts. ]

...The fuck is this?

[ Draken mutters to himself as he stares at one of the uncomfortably grotesque-looking squeeze toys stacked on the shelf beside him. It'd almost look cute, if it weren't for, y'know, the guts coming out of it's stomach and mouth. Gross. And uncomfortably real looking, too... He's struck with that morbid sensation where you want to look away, but can't help but stare anyway.

Even so, there's nothing that seems supernatural about this place. It's weird, and freaky as hell, sure, but there could be all kinds of reasons for these items - maybe it's a marketing tactic for a new movie coming out soon, or maybe some weirdo sold all their shit to the owner, or whatever - the point is, unsettling though it may be, there's nothing all that suspicious about it.

What are they supposed to be doing here, anyway? ...Draken resists the urge to poke one of the intestines spilling out of the toy, just to test it, and turns to his partner-in-crime, as it were. ]

Nice place, isn't it? [ The sarcasm in his words is obvious. But the thought that any of these items could be cursed, or haunted... makes the shop seem much more sinister than it should be.

And they're going to be taking one of these items back with them? That seems like an all-around terrible idea. Draken's not exactly an expert on the supernatural, but right now he feels like a character in a horror movie who's about to make a decision that'll kill him off, and that's not a pleasant feeling. ]

Anything catch your eye?

SCREEN MAGIC

[ Draken doesn't know what's come over him.

But the moment he spots a figure approaching, he's overcome with the strangest urge. Immediately... he can picture it in his mind - what it'd be like to just... hurt them. It would be so easy. He doesn't have any weapons, but his bare fists are more than enough. He could break an arm or a leg easily, feel the bones snap under his grip and hear that strangled cry of pain... He's confident that he could do it. And somehow, he knows that it would feel good.

Before he knows it, as if he's watching himself from outside his body, Draken feels himself start to walk in the stranger's direction, one foot after the other. There's no time for second thoughts or doubts about what he's doing - even if deep down, part of him must realize something's horribly wrong, the desire that's overtaken him is so strong that it's impossible to resist. Intoxicated on that feeling, Draken continues to approach...

And when he's close enough, he'll swing a fist right in your direction, as hard as he can. ]

Screen Magic

[sakaya]

Hm?

[ What is this now? There's an attack coming her away and even though she's not at her best as a Servant, Shuten easily and lazily dodges the young man's fist that was so eager to break her nose.

After dodging she takes a few steps back to assess the attacker. ]

Now, what do we have here? Ah, you seem to be just some youngster?

[ Outside of the ADI Headquarters, Shuten-Douji's oni characteristics, such as her horns and teeth are no longer perceivable. This was a way to make sure the general and very human populace of Gloucester, Massachusetts could live their everyday lives without disruption. Or something to that effect. All the oni cares about is being able to explore the general surroundings at her own leisure without having to suffer any fools who wouldn't take kindly to her appearance.

Not that she would have hidden voluntarily, but she did think it was rather neat.

She puts her hands on her hips and leans forward to examine the boy from a distance. ]

What's got you all heated up young man? I wonder, can you even hear me properly right now?

Samuel Harlow | Original Character

[laboriously]

i. Arrival;
[ He's not sure what bothers him more: the fact that he's been transported to wherever the fresh hell this is or the fact that he succumbed to sleep in order for it to happen. He'd been at his office, perfectly at home among the sleek modernist furnishings of an incredibly prestigious law firm, a glass of whiskey in his hand as he poured over his research. It had been a quick cat nap, barely closing his eyes at 3 in the morning, only to be greeted with...

Well. Whatever the fuck this is.

Samuel is not happy about it, and it shows. He's a tall man, slim and dressed to the nines in a three piece suit. He looks like he belongs far more among financiers and social elite, and while Samuel's fairly good at keeping his face neutral the fact that he's annoyed still seeps in through the set of his jaw and the way his brows furrow far too much. ]

I shouldn't be here. [ There it is, the hint of how upset he genuinely is audible in the way he hits his consonants. The fact that there's no rhyme or reason to why he's here serves to annoy him more as he finds himself crossing his arms and looking pointedly at the person next to him. ]

This place is a zoo.


ii. Curiosity Shop
[ At least there's something he can do. Samuel's a far cry from the fancy law offices of New York, but bargaining and poking around for names is pretty old hat to him, at least. That doesn't mean he has to like it. He doesn't like any of this on principle, though asides from a jaw that's set a little tight and a vague aura of annoyance he manages to keep his thoughts to himself.

He's certainly not going to shell out for whatever curios are in there with whatever money he's got left from his arrival, that's for damn sure. If he does see something he likes, which he doubts, he's already deciding he's going to spend company money on it and keep it after testing or whatever it is they'll do. It'll be a delightful tax write off for them, and he gets a little tchotchke.

As soon as he enters the store, though, it's immediately apparent to him a personal gift is far from deasible. Surely it's not just Samuel's refined taste, as all of this is pretty.... odd. He gives a polite, well trained smile to any shopkeep that glances their way and casually picks up an eggplant penguin ]

Meret Oppenheim is rolling in his grave.


iii. A night on the town;
[ He's yet to try his credit cards, but Samuel finds himself grateful that he always carries a money clip. It's something he picked up from watching old movies, and the moment he won his first big case he'd purchased a small, silver one with his initials engraved into it. It's a nice little sentiment, and a reminder of how far he'd gotten. It also means he has a fair chunk of cash with him, which means he could theoretically go to a fancy cocktail lounge.

Instead, he chooses the first hole in the wall he can find, acutely aware he doesn't belong here. Seeing Samuel without a three piece suit is a rarity, and he clashes considerably with the extremely casual wear the rest of the patrons are wearing, but it doesn't bother him in the least as he sits at the bar, pouring over documents with a Tullamore Dew. A drink in a shitty bar is a perfect environment for trying to pour over legal documents from the ADI, clearly, but old habits die hard.

He's been at it for a while until someone moves next to him. Samuel barely looks up, though he's kind enough to lean over and grab some of his loose documents so whoever it is can take a seat without folders and the like getting in the way. He should probably move to a table, but there's something about sitting at the bar itself that comforts him. Eventually, he'll look up and offer a polite, if somewhat strained smile. ]

I have a policy never to do a shot alone. Tequila? [ Which means yes, he's buying, and no, it doesn't matter who the stranger is. He's been at this for hours, and even for him, the dense legalese phrases and words are beginning to blend together. ]


iv. Wildcard;
[ While Samuel is from a world with magic, he himself is a completely mundane lawyer. Feel free to run into Samuel anywhere around town-- he'll most likely be in fancier cafes and restaurants or around ADI headquarters. If you'd like a personal starter just shoot me a DM! ]

iii!

[cacophonish]

[ Oh, fuck yes. Jeff only just got here, and a dude's already offering to get him a drink. Thank god, because he's chronically short on cash, and he still hasn't gotten around to getting a (totally unnecessary, because he is 21, no matter what his stupid ADI-issued ID says...) fake ID. He's only here to bum drinks off of lonely people.

So this is his lucky day. He shoots the guy a grin, drumming his hands on the bar. ]

Shit yeah. You celebrating or something?

Thomas | The Maze Runner (books)

[shuckit]

ARRIVAL;

[ Truth is in the eye of the beholder. Thomas scoffs lightly, looking down at the page. Would’ve been nice if they could’ve beheld a cure for the Flare, huh? Maybe Thomas just needed to plop down in the middle of the Scorch and tell the universe there wasn’t a Crank gnawing his face off.

Initial arrival wasn’t exactly hostile for him, but calling Thomas cooperative would’ve been a stretch. After the horrific escape he’d just made from WICKED, every fiber of his being urged to take a running leap through a window while giving these new handlers the finger. It could’ve been the physicalmentalemotional exhaustion, the crushing realization that it still isn’t over, or the overwhelming sense of failure and survivor's guilt weighing at him like an anchor tied to his leg, tossed overboard, but after some sharp words and a do not freaking touch me, Thomas complied.

Now, one dumb philosophical scribble and a new employee orientation later, he’s idling with the rest of the newbies, back to a wall and watching the room like he’s waiting for bombs to go off, or commandos to drop out of the ceiling. Neither happens, but Thomas remains as wary and doubtful as ever. ]

That’s their story? If we leave, a supernatural boogeyman eats us?

[ he starts up a conversation with his neighbor, once boredom sets in - it doesn’t take long. ]

The last shanks said it’d be plague cannibals. [ one of the very few things they didn’t lie about, but all the same - ] I don’t feel very eaten.

BOTH SIDES NOW; (cw: vague mentions of monsters, dead kids, medical/body horror)

[ It’s been a rough adjustment for Thomas, accepting the real and dangerous validity of the supernatural in this new place, but ‘adjustment’ would imply he’s progressing. Probably the wrong word for this. ]

They’re just clouds. Just water vapor, and ice crystals, and gas.

[ The kid stands at the peak of a hill after a long hike through the woods that he did not set a considerate pace for, regardless of how much his partner may/may not be used to trekking across deserts, monolithic mazes, and snowy tundras. It wasn’t an intentional oversight, he’d just been singularly focused on disproving this insane notion of paranormal activity in what’s clearly just a forest, and some really intense overcast.

Overcast he’s now stuck in a staring contest with, driven on by his own petulant determination to make the world make sense. The longer he watches them, the more absorbed he gets, and the further anxieties, traumas, fears and guilt bury him in paralysis. Teeth grind and grit through flashbacks of biomechanical horrors, bloodbaths that were once laughing and living friends, a man with a bone saw standing over him, ready to crack open his skull like a walnut and dig out his brain. ]

They’re just... stupid, creepy clouds.

[ this stubborn idiot will be standing here, digging nails into his palms, scared out of his mind and screaming that he isn’t until the eldritch cloud god descends to devour him, so please — someone save him from himself. ]

WILDCARD;

[ toss your own prompt at me, i'll roll with it ]

both sides now;

[stations]

( So, the walk over here sucked. He's not really the type to complain unprompted, he definitely doesn't want to be a little bitch about it, but uh... Jack's got one leg. He's still getting used to the prosthetic he wears from the knee down, and while he's mostly got it, it's the physical wear he's still in the process of adjusting for. Weird muscle use, weird rubbing, weird posture changes. It sucks.

It means he's not in the best mood when they finally make it to their destination. He's not crabby or anything, not visibly, he's just less... accommodating. )

Hey, um... guy?

( He starts placidly, preemptively bracing for the worst-case scenario version of this conversation. Doesn't help that he's already forgotten his name, probably. )

I get it if you want to live in denial for a little while longer, but could we live in denial somewhere not directly under the obviously supernatural paranoia-inducing horror clouds?