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redstringtheories2021-11-01 08:28 am
TDM #5
(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.)
(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.
(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.
(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.
- 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.
no subject
But... it's strange that a kidnapper would knock on the door instead of just barging in, isn't it? The voice she'd heard sounds like a woman's voice, but she doesn't understand what they just said at all.
As time ticks down, Satoko tries to figure out what to do. Should she pretend she's not here? No - if she does that, the woman will just check for herself, won't she? ...Abruptly, Satoko makes a split-second decision to open the door - but just a slither, enough to barely make out the face of the person who's decided to approach her.
Hiding the pencil behind her back, in a high-strung voice, she cries out in Japanese- ]
Who are you!?
no subject
She doesn't attempt to force her way in and simply stays where she is, taking in a quiet breath before calmly replying back also in fluent Japanese:]
My name is Ciel. [Or "
ChieShieru", given how it 'translates'.] You woke up here and have no idea how it happened, right? [one thing at a time...]no subject
And what would you know about that? [ she demands; her suspicion obvious. ] Are you suggesting that you have something to do with it?
no subject
Because I was the same when I first woke up here. No one knows why it's happening, but people from not just different countries, but times and worlds all over have been ending up here for some reason. ...Aha. That sounds crazy, doesn't it?
[She chuckles sheepishly, hands folded in her lap where the girl behind the door can see them. May as well be upfront about this; it would do no good to sugarcoat the truth, especially as they're all stuck here too for the foreseeable future...]
no subject
[ Satoko doesn't understand what this strange lady is talking about. Other times? Other worlds? That's completely absurd! If her tactic is to baffle Satoko into coming out, it's not going to work. ]
Why should I believe a thing you're saying? There's no point in trying to trick me - I'm already well aware that this is a kidnapping!
no subject
Okay then, let's say your idea is true, and you have been kidnapped. Why would any self-respecting kidnapper not tie you up or gag you, if they really went out of their way to target you with malicious intent? You're not hurt either, right? Don't feel bruised or sore anywhere?
no subject
[ Admittedly, that is strange. No self-respecting kidnapper would just let the person they'd kidnapped wander free, surely? ...But Satoko is afraid right now, and because of that, she isn't thinking straight. Besides, isn't Ciel's story much more unreasonable? ]
Maybe you're just bad at what you do! [ She accuses, though it sounds weak even to her ears. Still, while Satoko's tone is still hostile... it's clear from her expression that she's starting to doubt herself. But she's still quite not ready to open the door. ]
If you're really telling me the truth, then prove it! Show me that you mean me no harm!
no subject
Does that mean you are well and unhurt? That's good to hear, in any case. [She considers briefly asking if the other girl can think of any reason why anyone would want to kidnap her, but chooses to abstain after a moment; that'd be too much, especially when she can't even begin to fathom the newcomer's personal circumstances.]
Hmm... I'd be happy to, but how would you propose I do that? I don't blame you for being suspicious, but something shapeless and fickle like intention isn't easy to make obvious, whether it's through words or actions.
no subject
Either way, this whole situation is making Satoko's head hurt. There are too many irregularities for this to be a regular kidnapping, yet there's no other explanation that makes sense regarding how she ended up here... As Satoko continues to glare through the gap in the door, she thinks as hard as she can, trying to figure out whether or not she can trust this strange woman. ...To be honest, it shouldn't be hard for Ciel to open the door by force if she really wanted to, so it's not like Satoko hiding in here is really doing much good, is it? And through the slit of space the open door's created, Satoko can't see anyone else around Ciel, though that doesn't mean they're not there...
She stays there in silence for several more long moments... before Satoko abruptly, finally, opens the door. Her face is still filled with suspicion - she doesn't trust Ciel, not yet, but it doesn't really make much difference if the door's open or closed, does it? ]
I still don't believe your story. [ That is, the part about people appearing from different times and worlds. ] But if you had some sort of proof, then I might consider changing my mind. Why should I believe that people are just "appearing" here? Surely you realize how absurd that sounds?
no subject
She proceeds to get a proper look at the girl, now that they're no longer only peering at each other through a door crack. She seems so young, is she still in elementary? Definitely the youngest "Outworlder" she's met here, seems like whatever forces at play really don't discriminate. Ciel is keeping her posture open and relaxed though, standing still a couple feet away from the door and making no effort to close the distance between them. If Satoko wanted, she may very well be able to dart out from the room and escape somewhere else.]
Because if you ask anyone else around here, they'll tell you the same thing. The locals are used to dealing with us, and while I can't speak for everyone, it is probably safe to say that a grand majority of us would like nothing more than be returned to our home world where we belong.
[A beat.]
But would that really count as proof? Can you believe something, because everyone else is saying it too?
no subject
[ Satoko hesitates, a little surprised that Ciel is still sticking to her story. Just because a lot of people might tell it to her doesn't actually mean it's true, but it would be a very strange lie for a group of people to tell. For a moment, Satoko half-considers the possibility that she's been taken by some kind of crazy cult... ]
Can't you show me something more concrete? ...If what you're saying is true, then this place must be supernatural somehow, correct? Maybe... umm...
[ She doesn't know exactly what she wants, really. A good look at someone from another world? If there are people from all kinds of worlds out here, maybe there'll be non-human people too. Or perhaps some kind of proof of the supernatural? An item or a phenomenon she can observe? ]
A-anyway, where is this place, exactly?
no subject
[Though orientation is something everyone has to undergo regardless, so maybe she's the one being a bit too lax if not air-headed, only bringing it up now?]
We're in the ADI head office, which is located in Gloucester Massachusetts, USA. The year is 2021.
[Since the smaller girl spoke Japanese, she's probably from Earth, right? Probably. Hard to tell anything for sure here though, so might as well take it slow and see if she shows any signs of recognition?]
no subject
[ Touching a piece of paper that would let her become fully fluent in a language she doesn't speak? It sounds ridiculous! But if such a thing truly existed, then it'd be very hard to deny the existence of the supernatural. ...And strangely, Satoko feels herself becoming somewhat nervous at the thought of it. Ciel sounds so confident in what she's saying, but there's no way a thing like that could really exist... Right? ]
And did you say 2021!? [ She adds in disbelief. Indeed, Satoko is from Earth, but in terms of the time she comes from... ]
I'm quite sure it should be 1983... [ Satoko puts a hand to her head as if she has a headache, exhausted. ] This is all... quite a lot to take in.
no subject
[There's going to be some walking and elevator taking involved... Had she said enough to convince the younger girl to come along?]
Yes. It was 2001 for me, so I know how you feel, but just a tour around this building can show you how far technology has advanced throughout the decades. You could maybe take a look around for yourself, after the orientation? You may raise a few eyebrows, I don't think I've ever seen anyone younger than you who shares our circumstances, but nobody should stop you from going wherever you want to go.
[Which isn't normally the sort of thing a kidnapped person is permitted to do, just wandering about wherever they want. It's sounding too elaborate and easy to fall apart of a lie if it truly still was one, now isn't it?]
no subject
Her suspicion shows on her face as she frowns, withdrawing back into herself a little. But at the same time, if she really had been kidnapped, wouldn't they just have taken her to this B1 while she was unconscious? If that's where they'd wanted her. ]
...Very well. I'll accompany you to B1.
[ And she has to admit, she's curious, too. Satoko steps out of the room - being careful to step over the string-trap she'd set before, and looks up at Ciel expectantly. She knows that there's no way that Ciel's story could be real, yet at the same time... part of her almost believes it. Maybe it's because Ciel doesn't seem crazy, maybe it's because she's sticking to her story with such confidence...
Either way, this is a good opportunity for Satoko to get a look at where she is. ]
no subject
Thank you, I'm glad to hear it. Is it okay for me to ask for your name, or would you like to keep that to yourself for a bit longer?
[She asks amicably and starts leading the way down the corridor. Sakoto will find her surroundings... Well, relatively unremarkable, in truth. The ADI head offices are still offices, especially the upper floors that are supposed to live up to the cover of the dummy agency, "Apex Detectives Inc." It's the basement floors where the true arsenals of Apocalypse Disruption Initiative lay, so while everything looks bright, shiny, new, and modern, it's nothing too crazy on the sci-fi. The ceiling lights, flooring, and walls may look more polished, compared to buildings from 1983?
In any case, there isn't much twist or turns; they only take one turn to get back to the main corridor, at which point the two elevator doors at the end of it become openly visible even at a distance.]
It's not a long walk, we just have to take the elevators to B1. This way.
[They will pass by some glass panes with view of the outside on their way, so maybe Satoko can get a better glimpse of fall 2021 in America? The office lawns are tidy, the roads wide with a good number of cars parked on both side of the street. The city is very much urban, and more buildings can be seen in the distance from where they currently are on ADI's third floor. It's very much a far cry from any rural village, undeniably so.]
no subject
[ Satoko introduces herself with her last name first - still a little cautious, but feeling much more comfortable than she had been before. As they walk, she keeps taking quick glances around her before turning back to Ciel, paying close attention to everything she can - after all, anything could become important if she ends up needing to escape, right?
When they pass by the windows, Satoko stops for a moment, staring out of them at the street below. It's... certainly not Hinamizawa. It's not Okinomiya, either - it looks to be even more urban than that. Wherever Satoko is... she's a long way from home.
She swallows, left distinctly uncomfortable by that thought, and turns back to follow Ciel again. The silence feels suffocating, and Satoko feels like she needs to say something - though what exactly is beyond her...
In the end, though, she keeps her mouth shut. Until she's confirmed that Ciel isn't lying, she doesn't particularly feel like being friendly. ]
no subject
They reach the elevator. Ciel presses the down button, and within a few moments, it chimes in arrival. Maybe its inside will be Satoko's first coming to face with how much technology has advanced? Aside from the number display for the floor, there's also a miniature flat-screen TV embedded inside the elevator walls atop the buttons panel, showing the date, time, weather, and playing through news clips of the day in full HD color. November 2021, slightly cloudy, the lady on screen is talking about some disturbance in Dogtown. She may only be able to make out the date and time in Arabic numbers, however, as the newscaster lady speaks English and the temperature is displayed in Fahrenheit. Just American things...
...Well, provided that Satoko follows suit inside, first.]
It's a short trip down. We're normally put into a room by ourselves, before we are made to touch that paper and given the rundown. Will you be okay with that?
[Ciel breaks the silence and waits from within the elevator, holding the button to keeping the doors open while glancing back at Satoko. If she wants to run, this may be her last chance. The best one she may get too, as the only person she's met so far is inside the elevator, while she hasn't stepped in yet herself?]