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

[sorser]

That’s not exactly a name, is it?

[He has a mind to just introduce himself as Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Mystic Arts, and have her deal with that rolling off her tongue each time. Except he thinks it’d backfire and get wearisome eventually, too, so the thought dies on the vine.]

Doctor Stephen Strange. Now, as for your question, I’ve been here for about three months. And you’re obviously, painfully new.

[sakaya]

You'd be correct on both counts. 'Assassin' is the class name that I operate under.

[ She'll sit more comfortably on her bottom with crossed legs. Everything about her looks, words, and gestures towards Stephen show few doubts or lack of confidence; it's not so much arrogance as it could be detached apathy. Her head dips again with some of her dark hair draping across her cheek. ]

And since I'm new, you seem eager to take the lead, Doctor Stephen Strange. Now that is quite the name.

[sorser]

[Oh, he notices it. A kind of blasé uncaring in every minute action, every uttered syllable. As if his own presence is just barely worth the effort, and at any moment he may just lose her interest — for whatever that may entail.

Assassin paints plenty of vivid pictures, after all. The opposite of lazy and ponderous.]

And if you’re thinking of joking about it, believe me — I’ve heard it all.

[Where his name is concerned.]

What do you mean, a class name?

[sakaya]

Hm. Well, this place is tangling up many strings, isn't it...

[ People from different worlds, that is. Even with the one Shuten is from, she understands the concept of the complex web that hosts a variety of other universes where there are some consistencies, but with large differences. Most spider webs are separate, but if you cross them all together what is the result? ]

I'll spare you the meaty details later. But where I'm from there are spirits of varying infamy that can be summoned. Based on accomplishments or deeds... Or misdeeds as it were — there are several classes where we fall under the umbrella.

[ Then there's the Throne of Heroes, Heroic Spirits, Servants and Masters, the Holy Grail, the restoration of human history by Chaldea, her Master, her own history, and just so much baggage. Shuten knows better than to just dump such information so ungracefully. Sometimes you draw things out, just like you would a fine cup of sake unless you want to choke.

As she takes another sip she holds up her fingers, listing off some examples. ]

Sabers, Archers, Lancers, Riders, Casters, Assassins... There are a few others, but they're neither here nor there. Anyway.

[ A shrug. ]

Not that it matters much. I find that I am without my original summoner and that this place's penchant for apocalypses is not caused by anything I'm familiar with.

[sorser]

[He listens, his unimpressed expression refusing to betray his interest lying beneath it. The whole concept is not that unusual, not when summoning isn’t unheard of (if not always recommended) in the magical circles in his world; it’s the notion of reputation that’s particularly notable.]

I think it matters a little. Without your original summoner, what does that make you now? A free agent, or a spirit without a leash to rein you in?

[He supposes that depends on the reputation in question.]

What’s your brand of infamy?

[sakaya]

That's what's interesting actually; without a Master, I find myself improvising as I go along.

[ She answered his question partially. With her cup empty she stands up and finally jumps down from her perch. Though she doesn't close the distance between them, it's easy enough to hear her other answer to his other question. ]

Oh, what have I done? Nothing special.

[ And nothing to hide as far as she's concerned. ]

I ate humans.

[sorser]

You ate humans.

[Worrisome, but not terribly specific. Stephen was right to be dubious, eying her with some critical assessment, but that dubiousness extends to a lack of further information, too.

If she won’t even offer her name, she can at least throw him a bone.]

That doesn’t make you infamous. It just makes you a run-of-the-mill monster.

[Literally or figuratively. There’s that thin smile again. You know, maybe he’s a bit tired of being chewed on by monsters given recent events, but he’s not getting into that.]

[sakaya]

You think so?

[ There's some fun to be had from dangling the bits of information about herself on a string in front of Stephen and then yanking it back. ]

I suppose you're right. Monsters that feast on humans or cause some sort of trouble to distress them are a dime a dozen.

[ Shuten is surprisingly laidback about the whole deal. It's not that there's a lack of pride, but she doesn't put a lot of weight behind her horrible actions. The oni walks up to him with light steps, hands behind her back. ]

How about this? You can use one of those devices they gave us right? We'll do our job and see if there are any other strange moving pictures, and track them down. In the meanwhile I might hand feed you some more delicious information you're so desperate to eat from my palm.

[sorser]

[He doesn't like her phrasing, of course. As if he's doing her a favor and she might humor him with a few answers regarding just what kind of summonable spirit or monster she is, and whether or not ADI and others have reason to be concerned. But Stephen fishes into his back pocket all the same for his phone, unlocking it with a swipe as the screen beams to life.]

And what happened to this being a fruitless investigation? Don't tell me you've had a change of heart because of little old me.

[sakaya]

Isn't it a saying that "two heads are better than one?" I should think I'd be more productive with some fresh new insight by my side.

[ Or Shuten doesn't wanna work hard, that too.

Shuten idly reaches up to rub her forehead, when really it's the base of where her horns should be. It's funny, she didn't think the masking of her form would work that well after it was explained to her.

Something else catches her eye though; mainly, Stephen's fingers, stiff, mangled, obviously gone through some horrible injury. ]

...

[ But she makes no mention of it yet and discreetly glances away while putting her hands behind her back again. ]

And what if I did? You've given me so much attention so I think it's only fair if I pay attention to you.

[sorser]

[Skimming through his feed on his phone, where there’s been an explosion of “supernatural” uploads all across the face of social media. Even Stephen, who doesn’t try to dip his toes too deeply into that abyss, can find several examples without any real effort.

Several of them even in the Gloucester area. Surprise, surprise.]

Because I don’t have the patience for someone pretending at an investigation just to be a thorn in my side. Do you actually want to help?

[sakaya]

Well, if it's the muscle that's needed, I'm more than able to provide.

[ Cute and petite that she is, Assassin has made it clear that she is far more than she appears. ]

I've nothing better to do in the meanwhile unless the populace starts looking tastier. [ But so far, the people of Gloucester haven't caught Shuten's interest, for now. ]

As it is the supernatural we're dealing with, I may have some insight myself.

[sorser]

[He mutters an “uh-huh”, still scrolling through his phone. No doubt she’s more than capable of feats of strength, or at least enough to overpower a man and… eat them. Not that Stephen intends for that to be on the agenda today.]

Word of advice? Best to stop looking at the local citizens as potential for your next lunch. ADI doesn’t suffer any under their wing who go out of their way to hurt innocents.

[And unless she’s been feeding her patron in a short period of time—a patron he assumes she has—Stephen would bet money that her skills (or magic, or what-have-you) aren’t even half of what they once were.]

[sakaya]

Right, right.

[ She dismissively gestures with her hand. ]

I'm not that frivolous. Now that I'm in a state where I don't need to eat to survive, I'd even say I'm much pickier with what I eat to pair with sake.

[sorser]

Not as reassuring as you probably think it sounds.

[But sooner or later, they’ll know, won’t they?

Without preamble, Stephen turns his phone screen towards her, having queued up three short videos to watch.]

I’m not going to do all the heavy lifting if I’m forced into a team-up. So pick a destination to investigate.

[The first deals with supposed shadow figures lingering near a park at night. The second purportedly reveals a little girl dressed in white spotted near a local graveyard. The last deals with objects being moved and thrown about, very poltergeist-like, near Dogtown.]

[sakaya]

[ Shuten peers closely at the videos as they play in quick succession. She doesn't linger too long before pressing one finger to pause on the one with the little girl dressed in white. ]

Hm. A yurei perhaps? The worst thing that could happen is that she happens to have a temper if we are able to encounter her.

[sorser]

[A yurei. Interesting that she would choose a very Japanese analogue for a ghost, though it lends a hint towards his initial impression of Assassin — the sake, everything else aside.]

That one is likely a fake, since ghostly beings in white is definitely a cliché.

[From his perspective, at least. Hers, dubious as it is, might be worth having around.]

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth investigating. Is that your final answer?

[sakaya]

No second thoughts here. Whether it's fake or not, maybe it's worth shaking down.

[ This isn't material gathering Shuten!! ]

Lead the way then Doctor! Maybe after this, you can join me for a drink. Is the bar any good here?

[ Priorities...... ]

[sorser]

[His nose wrinkles, but Stephen turns on his heel, walking away with the expectation that she follow.

Haven’t you already had enough, Assassin? It’s still mid-day.

[sakaya]

Nope.

[ Her arms sway back and forth as she walks up next to him. ]

I've barely just begun! Those were just sips I had back there. And do I truly look and sound as if I had enough?

[ Though her voice has that peculiar lush quality that colored all of her words, Assassin's speech was easy to understand; sharp even, with her own lazy wit.

Still, what kind of assassin drinks on the job? ]

And the time of day doesn't matter to me when it comes to liquor.

[sorser]

[Stephen stuffs his hands into his pockets in the meanwhile, looking at her askance. He swears he can still scent booze on her, but she’s lucid enough; but that doesn’t mean it won’t be an issue later down the line.]

It should if it’s going to impede our investigation. If you can stay focused, then I might direct you to a bar later this evening.

[(He didn’t agree to join her, however.)

The walk to the graveyard isn’t a long one, but navigating on foot generally takes longer. Eventually, though, they’ll make good enough time to see it at a distance: grey tombstones like silent sentinels planted upon a well-manicured landscape.]

[sakaya]

[ The scent is not his imagination at least; it's just the faintest scent of alcoholic fruit, sweet and sickly. ]

You're quite diligent aren't you? Has your stay here dampened your good humor that much if you had any, to begin with?

[ And she's somewhat curious herself now, but decides to save her other question for later. When they get to the graveyard, she strolls around giving the tombstones a once over. ]

So far, so good. I don't sense anything malevolent yet.

[sorser]

Some people think I’m funny. Maybe I’m sparing you from any humor for now, considering we’re in a cemetery.

[If Wong was here, he’d look utterly unimpressed. But Wong isn’t here, so Stephen’s claims to having a sense of humor/being humorous hereby go uncontested.]

Come on. Let’s take a closer look. The little “ghost” girl was spotted by a tree with a stone bench beneath it. Do you see anything similar?

[Funny how very un-spooky a cemetery feels in broad daylight.]

[sakaya]

[ Glancing back and forth, Shuten scans the area around them and it doesn't take long to find the stone bench which is a good several yards away from them at a distance. ]

There we go.

[ As for the ghost girl in white, no sign yet. It's broad daylight so the threat doesn't feel as palpable.

There is a sort of, blink and you'll miss it flash of white though. A trick of the light? ]

I don't care much for tricks, but that's a remnant for you.