TDM #12

[apocalypsehowmods]

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(NOTE: Changes have been made to our standard Arrival and Dogtown prompts. All players and potential applicants are encouraged to closely review these.)

➥ 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.) You might even arrive in a section of building that has been demolished, leaving a pit of rubble open to the sky–hope you're up on your tetanus shots! 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. The one exception is the demolition zone off what used to be one corner of the building: it seems the security teams are keeping a particularly close eye on that area to document new arrivals and bring them in quickly.

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.)

➥ Birdswatching

(cw: scopophobia; paranoia; unnatural animals)

Weird things happen in Dogtown, everyone knows it. And the weird things have been getting worse. Much worse. The rise in dangerous rather than merely uncomfortable or startling phenomena has put an end to ADI's use of Dogtown as a testing ground for new recruits. Under ADI's advisement, the City of Gloucester has officially and indefinitely closed Dogtown to the public, and work is ongoing to construct barriers around the entire park to prevent trespassing. Dogtown's borders are now patrolled by Gloucester law enforcement as well as ADI employees from the Investigations and Security divisions, who document phenomena visible from outside its borders and actively keep people out. New arrivals who volunteer for the work may still find themselves dropped off outside the borders of Dogtown in order to beef up patrols and help document paranormal activity while receiving an introduction to the kind of work ADI does. An employee will give you a GPS device where you need only press a button to alert ADI there is severe danger and someone needs to come help you right away, explicitly instruct you not to actually enter Dogtown, and leave you with another person at the edge of the park. 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 record any paranormal activity visible from outside the park. Those who succeed in documenting anything peculiar will receive a $100 reward to be used as they see fit, but those who are caught entering Dogtown in pursuit of such proof will be reprimanded and receive no reward.

This month nothing appears to be out of the ordinary at first glance, which might make the increased vigilance around Dogtown seem like a bit of an overreaction. Sections of the park's border are bustling with contractors installing fences and the new police and ADI patrols are fresh enough to be alert to any hint of danger, but Dogtown itself just looks like an ordinary, if overgrown, park from out here. The sun is shining, there's a pleasant breeze to offset the summer heat, the birds are….

The birds are not singing. There's movement in the trees and undergrowth, to be sure, the sound of small animals going about their business...but no birdsong. No cawing, no hooting, no trilling. That's not to say there aren't any birds, though. Once you start to look for them, you'll spot them among the branches: birds of any species one might expect to find in the area are not only present, but present in higher numbers than normal. And they're all just...staring at you. Watching. Even when you turn away you can feel their beady little eyes on you.

It's when you step out of view that they do start to sing, or at least to make noise. They call back and forth as if to inform each other of your movements, keeping tabs on you, always keeping you within eyesight of at least one bird. They're waiting for something, waiting for the moment in which to attack, waiting for your moment of weakness.

You mustn't be weak. You mustn't give them an opening. But even after you depart the outskirts of Dogtown, they're still watching, all of them, every bird in Gloucester turning its gaze upon you as you pass. They're everywhere, making your skin crawl with the knowledge that no matter where you go or what you do, they know, they see.

Are they the only ones watching? Did that stranger look at you out of the corner of his eye? Is that child watching you from their window? What are they planning? What do they want from you? Is that pity in their gaze, or is it scorn–or is it hidden rage, biding its time? Nowhere is safe. Nowhere are you free from eyes upon you, ears listening at the door.

And the birds keep singing now.

➥ Current Events

(cw: thalassophobia; mild scopophobia)

There aren't many mandatory activities at the Apocalypse Disruption Initiative. The higher-ups prefer not to impose upon their people's free time. Everyone enjoys different things and finds different ways to relax. After recent events, though… they're making one exception: The (newly) Annual Beach Barbeque! The Staff Development Department is keen to help find new ways to get people outside to enjoy what good times there are, and have set up a few different areas for people to engage. Attendance is noted upon arrival to a particular section of the beach where the events are being held. Those who fail to turn up will find their pay docked and persistently encouraging emails to the effect that they might want to visit the Counseling Center if they're having trouble connecting with people.

Riptide
Surf and boogie boards, both, have been laid out on the beach, ready for someone to pick up and hit the surf. The waves in Gloucester aren't much to write home about, but they make an easy start for beginners. Care should be taken, though. There are reports of some rip currents in the area that seem to crop up unexpectedly. You might find yourself suddenly pulled out much farther than you expected. And the ocean stretches out into the horizon, far, far bigger than you might expect. The shore seems so far away.

If you're lucky, you're not alone out here because getting back to shore seems a daunting task, indeed. Or maybe you're playing lifeguard and spot someone in need of help. Be quick! It's unclear just how much danger these waters hold.

Poseidon Quivers
ADI recognizes that not everyone may want to actually get into the water. There are tools (some simpler, some more sophisticated) for designing sand art, whether it's a castle, a more elaborate statue, or some sort of trench to bury your enemies. One of the native ADI staff is also encouraging those with an artistic flair in the sand arts to teach others. Maybe you're learning something new or maybe you're a student. Either way, you're bound to get covered in an unpleasant amount of sand. Some of it tingles in a way that leaves patches of skin feeling numb long after the sand has been brushed away. Some might also experience a numbing of their emotions, as well, when affected by the sand. Maybe that makes it easier to deal with all of this…

We Feast Upon the Flesh
What's a barbeque without food? There's the standard fare of hotdogs and burgers (with veggie patties and tofu dogs for those less inclined toward the carnivorous), and then there are the Gloucester 'favorites.' Someone’s had the thought to bring a battery-powered fryer out to the beach, and the scent of truffle fries and fried clams fills the air.

Be careful when eating, though. The seagulls are watching. Waiting. Taking from those who look like the easiest marks. Their gaze is upon you, beady and staring. Even when they're not actively bothering someone, the sense that their little black eyes are observing is intense.

➥ Spot the Difference

(cw: bodily harm, stalking, bullying, altered perception)

Unfortunately, it's not all sun and sand by the seaside. Saving the world never ends, and Sable at the docks has gotten word to ADI that there have been a handful of incidents involving a shipment of goods that are meant to be headed for the General Store. They’re all mundane objects, but there have been some reported mental breakdowns and a few injuries. Before anyone will touch the boxes - and definitely before they’re put on the shelves for customers - someone will need to comb through the boxes to identify exactly what is causing the issue and ADI is paying a bonus for anyone who is willing to shoulder the danger.

The problem? The workers who were affected have no idea what caused any of it. As far as they can remember, they were handling absolutely normal items. Anyone investigating will have to use their own powers of observation to figure out where the danger is coming from. Or possibly trial and error. Because the vague reports do mention that these unlucky workers were touching the objects, heavy gloves and even grabber tools will be provided so that direct contact is not necessary.

The afflicted boxes have been sequestered away in a small warehouse (really more of an oversize shed). There are a handful of them on otherwise bare shelves, as if anything else has been moved somewhere else. For a space that is holding dangerous items it's... Actually it's pretty mundane.

So are the objects that need inspecting. They range from toys to cups to cleaning instruments of all things, all perfectly normal goods. Perfectly normal. Except when they’re not.

The differences that mark out the Entity-touched goods are incredibly easy to miss. As subtle as a face painted on a mug with too-wide eyes or a plush wolf toy…that happens to have one or two little metal teeth tucked away in the back of its open mouth. There’s a crate of fancy silverware sets, engraved with patterns. Most are floral in nature, but somewhere in there, there’s a set where the pattern is more reminiscent of blood... or tears. Maybe spiderwebs.

Touch one of these wrong objects, and suffer the consequences, whether it's an unshakeable sense of being followed (or the conviction that the people closest to you are out to get you, hearing whispers of threats in the voices of your friends) when handling the toy plush, wounds appearing randomly on ones’ body when holding a knife, or the certainty that your body parts are changing in shape or size when handling the mug. One of these things is not like the others.~

➥ Mod Notes

• ARRIVAL (July 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 (or the rubble that used to be part of 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, as well as updated information about the state of ADI Headquarters. During characters' absence in June, it seems ADI finally received the necessary permits to demolish a portion of the building–if asked, NPCs are open about the fact that the demolition was meant to test the theory that destroying Headquarters might prevent further interdimensional arrivals. It hasn't worked.
  
  
• BIRDSWATCHING (July 1-31): Feelings of dread and paranoia regarding birds, humans, and even animals in general will follow exposure to the staring eyes of the birds in Dogtown. Characters who leave the area immediately after noticing the birds' unusual behavior will experience only minor effects; the degree of paranoia and how long it lasts is proportional to the length of time one spends near Dogtown while aware one is being watched by the birds, and the effects may last several days. Hiding under the covers or in a windowless room seems to help, a little.
  
  
• CURRENT EVENTS (July 5-Onward): While the beach barbeque only lasts for one day (the 5th), the supplies for creating sand sculptures and various water-based sports will be available for the rest of the summer for characters to avail themselves of, either as a learner or as an instructor. Escape from the riptide is possible without outside assistance, but will be challenging. There is a distorted perception of just how far away the shore is. While the sand can be collected for analysis, there will be nothing scientifically notable about it. Even removed from the beach, though, some of it seems to cause intermittent numbness (both physical and emotional). This will be an ongoing effect.
  
  
• SPOT THE DIFFERENCE (July 15-31): As indicated in the prompt, contact with the afflicted items will result in various different effects. With some of them, gloves will be enough to prevent characters from being affected, though others might be stronger (this is up to player discretion.) Feel free to play with the established effects or create your own, though please use content warnings for anything not already mentioned in the prompt. The effect from these objects will last for an hour or two and then fade away.
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Comments

i

[differentpark]

The woman he gestures to is on the older side, and just lifting herself up from under some of the rubble. She's dressed like a stereotypical grandmother might be, and her hair is dyed a dark brown. This is not the place Charlie had expected to turn up. Where even is she? Eoin had said she'd be dying. This doesn't look anything like the River as it's been described... or what they'd seen in the Umbra.

She's been in enough danger the past month and a bit to duck low immediately when someone tells her to. Alive. That's what she should focus on. She's alive and... in danger. Again. What even is her life these days?

Whatever it is, apparently it involves crouching and crawling slowly between piles of rubble to meet up with a stranger. She keeps her voice low when she reaches him. "I don't suppose the PFS mean anything to you, dear?" Because that's assuming that's who those people they're avoiding are. She dearly hopes he isn't one of them.

[easilyamused]

He studies her sidelong as she picks her way up beside him. She looks like one of the older women who congregate in the park, or sit in sometimes on college lectures, opting to resume their education in the wake of children flying the nest and husbands flitting off on some midlife crisis or another. She sounds like one, too - the dear would make him smile in any other circumstance. Here, it makes him think liability.

The voice of self-preservation in his head, louder than the few scraps of decency for which he completely blames MacLeod, no matter that they'd taken root long before he'd met the man, whispers that he should leave her behind to take her chances with whoever's guarding this place.

But the time for that had been before she'd joined him, before he'd given warning. If either of them is to get out clean, they both need to.

"Never heard of them," he says. "Are they some kind of militia?"

[differentpark]

"Something like that." She doesn't elaborate as she scans the fence surrounding the perimeter, leaving him to watch the guards. No specific weaknesses that she can spot. In fact... "Fence looks new. Not enough rust on it, yet. Through the building might be our best bet. None of them are in uniforms..." Charlie nods to herself. "If we can get inside without them noticing, we might be able to just blend in with whoever else is in there. How are you at looking like you belong in a place?"

She begins carefully patting herself down, trying to shake the dust off her clothes and out of her hair so she doesn't look like she just crawled out of a construction zone.

[easilyamused]

"I can get by." It might be the understatement of several lifetimes. Blending in has become a primary survival strategy over the years.

The thought of going into the building when they have no way of knowing what it actually is - aside from probably some sort of corporate building, because there aren't nearly enough guards or uniforms for it to be military or other government - sets his teeth on edge. But trying to climb the fence without being spotted by guards or cameras isn't much better. Could, in fact, turn out much worse.

"If we wait until they start heading back that way, it'll give us a better window of opportunity."

He glances over to where she's shaking off the dust.

"What were you doing before you got stuck in here?"

[differentpark]

She smiles at him in a way that most might clock as perfectly natural, even genuine. Just a kindly older woman who's a little out of her element. It would take someone well-attuned the art of deception to notice that it's something practiced. "Going on a little road trip with some friends, dear. This wasn't the detour I was expecting. And you?" They can make smalltalk while they're waiting for the guards to move where they want.

[easilyamused]

He catches that practiced, too-smooth edge. Catches it, and is interested in spite of himself, because he almost buys it. That's not unheard of, but it's far from common.

It's hard to be offended when his own answer is the entirely untrue, "Having a few drinks with the lads. This isn't the strangest place I've woken up after a night out, but it's in the top ten."

He hesitates, then twists to offer her a hand. "I'm Alex. If we're going to be evading guards together, we should probably be on a first name basis." It's neither his name nor the name on his ID, a careful layer of distance in case this...whatever this is spirals even further out of control, but it's one he's used extensively enough to let him respond to it without hesitating.

[differentpark]

It's easy enough to take his hand. "Penelope, but my friends all call me Penny." She loathes the name Penny. It feels like some cruel cosmic joke the PFS had chosen that name out of all the ones they could have gone with. She also has an inkling her new friend isn't being entirely honest with her. Game respects game, and this isn't the time or place to pry, so she just files that away in the back of her head. Not to mention, it might just be the paranoia she's built up over the last month.

"Now, I think our window of opportunity is approaching, Alex. And... up we go." Charlie rises with quickly, and Methos will have an idea that she's a tall woman in the neighborhood of 5'10". In spite of her clothes, she moves in a way that says she's not just an old granny. There's a wiry strength and a level of comfort in the way she pushes herself up quietly. There's no time to waste, so she simply steps quickly and carefully forward, still keeping a little low.

[easilyamused]

She's quicker and more adept at moving quietly than he would have expected, and while that produces a sharper twinge of wariness in the part of his mind devoted to self-preservation, it's also interesting. If she's a plant by whoever set all of this up, she's a curious choice. If she's not, their odds of making it through unscathed have just gone up.

It's slow going, picking their way across the rubble pit towards the building. There's not quite enough cover as he would like to offset the unsteady terrain, but so far, at least, they don't seem to have been spotted.