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redstringtheories2021-07-04 06:36 pm
TDM #1
(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: hallucination, potential mind-control)
Weird things happen in Dogtown, everyone knows it. The Apocalypse Disruption Initiative (ADI) is not above taking advantage of that to test out the waters for its newest arrivals. They're not looking to send anyone to their death, though. That's far too much paperwork, you'd been assured with a wink from the employee who'd directed you to the park trailhead. You've been left with another person. Maybe they're a new arrival, as well, or a more seasoned 'veteran.' Either way, you're together for the next while and you've been asked to find and record any paranormal activity in the park. You have your phones and any other equipment you might have brought with you. Those who succeed in documenting anything peculiar will receive a $100 reward to be used as they see fit.
This month, there seems to be something odd afoot with the stones around the park. Instead of the questionably useful advice they offer, there is, instead, something embarrassingly or horrifically true about you carved into the stone. Trying to show your companion or gauge their reaction will net nothing; they will simply see their own truth. It's only when you admit to what's on the stone that it seems to become visible to others or any camera in your possession.
Take a picture. The least you deserve for the trouble is some money.
"We'll have others with you, but all of you will be out on your own for missions, so to speak," the ADI employee who had led you down to the underground training facility explained. "You'll need to have some basic skills. Even if you're not going out soon or ever… it's safer to know these things."
Basic skills, in this case, appear to mean survival and weapons training. The room you've been brought to on Floor B3 below ADI Headquarters is a massive, underground gym, and there are sections set up for various skills practice. One side of the gym is dedicated to fighting: bare-knuckles, wrestling, knives, and tasers are all out on display. There are also a few guns, but those are reserved for people who can prove they can manage the other weapons first. The other side has areas for fire-making, building a shelter, navigating without a phone, supply preparation, cooking, and basic first-aid. Through a side door, there's also a small pool where people are being taught the basics of swimming.
Any or all of these skills would be useful in a dangerous situation, and there aren't enough native ADI employees to cover training for all of them. If you show that you're proficient with something, you'll be asked to man one of the areas to assist in training others. If you're at a loss and looking lost, you will be pushed toward whatever skills practice area is physically closest to you, whether you wanted to learn anything about that or not. Best make the most of it… and try not to kill anyone or burn anything down.
Even those who have refused ADI Housing and taken themselves to Bonnie's Flophouse will find that they're welcome for this training under the strict understanding that no supernatural abilities will be used. Bonnie will have informed them of it and helped them get to ADI to ensure they learn some of the things they might need to survive... and also just to bond with the people they'll be working with for the foreseeable future.
(cw: body horror, implication of near-drowning, violence, potential for blood, gore, drowning, death)
The beaches around Gloucester are numerous and varied with reported supernatural activity at many, if not most of them. For those working with ADI, they'll receive the direction in a mass email from Reyes Amador, the assistant to the Head of ADI. For those not technically working at ADI, Bonnie will provide the same information.
All,
We have received reports of strange noises and sightings at Coffin Beach. Please take at least one other person and investigate. A $300 bonus will be offered to those who bring back evidence of the source of these reports.
Take Care of Yourselves,
Reyes
Those who head to Coffin Beach will find that the sand beneath their feet squeaks softly with each step, like the faint sound of a poorly-maintained hinge protesting their movements. It makes stealth especially difficult, and those who wish to maintain their cover would do well to stay farther up into the vegetation and off the beach, itself. There aren't any houses out this way, just coastal marshes, the beach, and some higher ground with low-growing shrubs, tall grasses, and thin trees.
For the patient, those who wait for night to fall, they will be rewarded when they hear the sound of someone crying. Searching the beach, they will be able to spot a young person who appears to have washed up in a kayak on the beach. The young person is visibly injured in some way with blood coming out of them. Those who approach cautiously may get the sense that there is something not quite right about this person. Man or woman, their face is too long, their angles too sharp.
There is something wrong. It's not the injury.
There is something very wrong with what this person is.
They will not respond to any calls or move from where they lie, half-submerged in the surf. Anyone who approaches within a few feet will discover they're not nearly as helpless as they seem to be, though. The person will burst from the water with a powerful thrust, attempting to tackle anyone nearby and bite them. The person's face transforms into a long, fanged maw, trying to rip and tear and drag their prey into the ocean with them, away from any safety.
- ARRIVAL: 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. Please refer to the Arrival page for details regarding the arrival and onboarding process.
- STICKS AND STONES: If so desired, to facilitate CR, characters may feel themselves compelled to ask about the stones when they see their truth written on it. Resisting the compulsion will become more and more difficult as time goes on.
- I WILL SURVIVE: Characters may be students or trainers in this scenario. They might be able to get away with small displays of supernatural abilities if they want to risk it and if they find themselves with the necessary reserves of power. Anything significant will have them immediately removed and asked not to return to ADI for a few days.
- SHIFTING PERSPECTIVE: Characters may fight off, capture, or kill the creature. If they successfully capture it and bring it back to ADI (or call for someone to come and do that for them), they will receive a significant monetary bonus beyond the promised $300 for their work. If characters successfully kill and document the kill, they will also receive the bonus and instructions to push the body out to sea. If a character is taken by the creature, they will be killed. Please bear in mind that if a character dies in the TDM prompt, they are dead. A different version who doesn't have TDM memories may be apped in their place.
jeff calhoun (a very dumb bard) | original
[ He feels like David Duchovny, out here with his... all-in-one phone/notebook/flashlight/camera, investigating some paranormal bullshit. Apparently, he and his new partner are just supposed to wander around this park and keep an eye out for anything weird. Like what? Ghosts? Werewolves? Fairy circles? Will-o-the-wisps? ]
See anything, Scully? [ He looks over at his (unfortunate) partner with a lazy look, before pulling one corner of his mouth up in a half-smile. ] Or I could be Scully, if you want. Bet I could pull off one of those very smart skirt suits. Whatever it takes to get paid.
[ As if on cue, that's when he sees it, the writing etched into a large stone.
Fuck!
[ He draws in a short, gasping breath, squeezing his eyes shut as he covers them with his hands. Like a kid who can't stand to watch a scary movie, god, he's so fucking pathetic.
Not here, not here, not here. It can't be happening. ]
ii. i will survive
[ So here's a fun fact: Jeff has no skills. He is skill-less.
Well, that's not true. He has plenty of skills, none of which lend themselves to the worlds of paranormal investigation or wilderness survival or whatever. Apparently, there's not a whole lot of demand for musicians here. And the second he even offers to just sing a fire to life, he's shushed immediately.
No magic. He's gotta learn things the boring, mundane way.
As a strapping young man (lean, bordering on too skinny, and looking like a moderately forceful shove could send him stumbling over his mile-long legs) he's immediately herded to the more physical activities. Anyone lucky enough to be paired off with Jeff for fighting practice is probably going to have an easy time of it. One of three things is likely to happen: ]
[ 1: Jeff will try to sucker punch you, then immediately try to run away and escape from the consequences of his actions. ] Shit, shit, dude, I'm so sorry! White flag-- Truce!
[ 2: Jeff will try to distract you and totally derail any fighting practice with a languid smile and some awful flirting. ] Shouldn't we oil up before we start rolling around on each other?
[ 3: Jeff, fed up with the whole training session, starts singing a very lovely song that just so happens to be carrying a nasty little spell. At first, it may seem like he's, weirdly, serenading your character. But there's something else there, in the melody, a creeping, dreadful sensation that tries to claw its way into your heart and send you running in terror. (Or maybe you aren't the target. Maybe you're an instructor, or a bystander, and it's probably time to grab this little prick by the collar of his shirt and yank him out of the sparring area.) ] And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad, the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had...
iii. wildcard
[ Throw anything at me, I'm flexible! Will match prose or action. Quick character info: dumb bard from a modern fantasy universe, had big dreams of becoming a rock star, and recently experienced his own Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust courtesy of a demon finding its way inside his head. Also it's like 1995/1996 for him. More info in his journal. ]
Sticks and Stones
[Meredith's been a jovial enough partner, and it's nice that their worlds share cultural touchstones. She looks very prim and polished (though she's traded out her usual pencil skirt for a pair of blue jeans), but there's a wicked sense of humor under it all.
Anyway, when Jeff stops and swears, Meredith stops as well, concerned about him (not noticing the boulder yet).]
Hey, you alright?
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[ It'd probably be more convincing if he'd uncovered his eyes. Jeff takes in another breath, trying to will some sense of calm into himself, and slowly lowers his hands with a weak attempt at a smile. Totally reassuring. ]
I'm good. It's nothing, it's-- [ His imagination. A trick of the light. It'll be gone when he looks at the boulder again, because there's nothing on the boulder, because the boulder is not talking to him--
The very pointed message is still there. Jeff looks away from it, like it's going to blind him if he keeps on staring, and looks at Meredith with a forced grin. ] Guess some fucking... DARE officer wanted to leave a warning here.
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Either the DARE program was vastly different in your world from mine, or you're seeing something different on the rock than I am.
[Because the words she sees have nothing to do with drugs at all. But they are a hard accusation for her to read all the same.]
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Or maybe he's just finally, totally snapped and this is all some massive hallucination. Jury's still out on that. In the meantime, he'll just keep on doing what he's been doing and pretend he's a totally normal person who definitely doesn't see or hear things from his imaginary friend who's definitely not driving him totally insane.
He tilts his head, seeming to study the message on the rock, before giving Meredith a sidelong look. ]
Or there's a third possibility: I'm totally illiterate and was only pretending to know how to read. [ Grin! But seriously: ] So what do you see?
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ii. - 3
He's been going from group to group, giving a few pointers or taking some pointers for himself, and he's walking over when he hears the song. Is that dude singing while he's fighting? Odd, but okay...
Until the melody sinks in his head and his emotions go wild, giving him that familiar, off-kilter something is happening and it's probably magic feeling that he hates so much--]
Hey!
[Jake jabs a finger in the other man's direction. His accent places him from the American midwest, Oklahoma in particular. He's short, with a stocky build, and looks to be just over 40.]
Are you usin' magic? Quit that!
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Heeeey. [ Jeff smiles dreamily, totally innocent! He swears, if the dude had a rolled up newspaper, he'd probably be swatting Jeff with it right now. That's the whole vibe he's giving off. ] Who says I'm doing magic? I'm not doing magic.
[ He's not a very convincing liar at all. Honestly, it's probably a little insulting, the way Jeff doesn't even try. ]
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That was magic!
[Jake sounds so utterly offended, as if the word magic itself was distasteful. More jabbing motions and gestures.]
That was absolutely magic. Don't tell me that wasn't, cause it was!
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[ Okay, maybe this little shit's just messing with him now. ]
i will survive, 3 bc i have to
She gives up on that and goes to watch one of the fights when Jeff starts singing. She feels it. Not even the emotions, really, though just a touch of those too. She feels the Gift, the way it moves around him, the way he moves it, and his back is to her but his voice is so familiar and--]
Whatthefuck, Jeff? [It comes out almost as a squeak. Because that is not Jeff. Except it totally is Jeff. Except it's totally not.]
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Somebody here knows who he is! Which means she's 1) from home and 2) probably been to a few Nervous Tix shows.
He immediately looks over his shoulder and gives her a once over, before shooting an infuriatingly laid back musician's smile her way. ]
Oh hey. [ Jeff turns and heads towards her, leaving behind a very confused opponent as they shake off the effects of the half-finished spell. As far as Jeff's concerned, it's like he's already forgotten about the whole sparring thing. ] What's up?
[ Totally casual, like he wasn't just in the middle of cheating his way out of a fight just moments ago. ]
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“Oh my god did you just fucking make elevator eyes at me. I think I need to go peel my skin off.”
It’s out before she thinks twice about saying it, because of course Jeff will understand why that’s weird, because it’s Jeff and he knows her, except—-
“My head is going to explode.” Athena presses the heels of her palms against closed eyes. “Okay. Just, like. Humor me a second. What year do you think it is I can’t believe I’m asking that.”
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It's far from the first time Jeff's run into somebody who remembers him a lot better than he remembers them.
"1995." Weirdo. Then: "Ohhh... Now I get it. You're Ally's girlfriend, right?"
Look, it's the safest bet. Ally's always got herself a girlfriend. It's the one constant, even as the names and faces of said girlfriends are ever changing.
ii - 1
His gaze falls to the side just for one second and honestly:
Batman would be so disappointed in him.
Tim does manage to duck the punch, and then it's some heightened sense of indignance (or embarrassment) that makes him chase the jerk. He's above tackling for retribution; Tim moves to trip the guy instead.] Seriously?
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Suffice it to say, Tim's counterattack lands pretty easily, and Jeff's stumbling to the ground in an uncoordinated heap of limbs. ]
Ow...
[ Jeff sits up, looking up at Tim, and it's hard to say just how he feels about this turn of events... until he starts laughing. ]
Okay, look, in my defense, I thought we were going with bar fight rules, dude.
[ As if there are rules to bar fights. Look, Jeff's fighting experience is pretty limited. He's started his share, just by being infuriatingly himself around enough drunk, aggro dudes, but he's always been good at slipping out of them and leaving others to do the actual fighting. He's never stood a chance in a fair, one-on-one fight. ]
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Who does that?
Tim does stare for a moment like he's wondering if Jeff is insane or if that privilege falls staunchly on his shoulders. Then he rolls his eyes, and promises he's not going to let this idiot get away with being an idiot.]
There are no rules to a bar fight.
[Says the square.
Tim steps forward and hates that he's not glowering; he extends a hand to help the guy up. Maybe. He's still frowning, at least. Unfortunately, it's his everyday frown and more of a neutral expression of... nothingness, than annoyance.] And for the record, I wouldn't recommend sucker punching someone you share a building with. Even if you got away with it, I would have just kicked your butt next time I found you at the cafeteria.
sticks and stoooooners gonna do regular prose fight me
He gives Jeff a dry look at the Scully commentary, preparing to say something about retaining his right to skepticism, but then the kid seems to go into some kind of mental lockdown. Gil grabs his shoulder, immediately worried.
"What is it? What happened?"
He looks in the direction Jeff was staring and freezes. Now he sees it. He wishes he didn't.
Critical thinking kicks into gear a moment later, making him ask himself why Jeff would react like that to something that's so obviously aimed at Gil. Unless that's some kind of twisted thing the two of them have in common.
"Hey." He tries to turn Jeff away from the rock and toward himself. "Open your eyes. You're okay. It's just words."
look idek why i wrote the starters in action, I HATE DOING ACTION
But it's the existence of the message that has him freaking out, mentally retreating under the covers like a scared little kid trying to hide from the monster in his closet.
He nearly jumps out of his skin when a hand, heavy but gentle, comes down on his shoulder, and Gil can probably feel a tension that won't even begin to drain until he says it: It's just words.
"You see it, too?" Jeff sounds so positively, pathetically hopeful, but at least he feels like he can breathe again. Okay. Okay, it's not in his head, the stone's not talking to him, and he's not going crazy.
He lowers his hands and looks at the stone again, before looking over at the older (totally dad-aged) man.
"I didn't get much sleep." It's not a real explanation, but it's not a lie, either, since, like, he never gets much sleep. "Guess I thought I was seeing things."
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That was not the reaction of someone who is unused to seeing things. That was the reaction of someone who is all too used to it, and doesn't want it happening in the middle of nowhere in front of a stranger. Gil eyes the stone. YOU'RE JEALOUS OF A MURDERER.
He makes a soft, bitterly amused noise. "This place likes to go for the jugular of the psyche, huh."
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"I mean... At least it's not saying your mother sucks cocks in hell."
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wildcard babeeeee
Finally, mercifully, Peter reaches out to him with a lifeline. Sort of. ]
You seem lost. [ Although "seem" is not the right word since he's definitely lost. There's no doubt about that. ] Nothing that'll keep you alive striking your fancy?
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I'm a city mouse. All this country mouse shit just confuses the hell out of me.
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Well, maybe we can turn you into a tiger. [ After rising up from the floor around his artificial campsite, he wipes his hands over his knees to get rid of any debris. ] Think you could build a fire if it came to it?
[ That'll start them with a baseline of how hosed this kid'll be if he gets lost in the woods. ]
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ii.3. ...surprise...?
After walking a few newbies through gun safety and how to clean a rifle, he drifts over to the area where a few lost-looking kids are wandering around pretending to learn hand-to-hand. Rolling his gold eyes, he walks up to one of the kids, a lanky one who looks like a strong wind could knock him over, and pins him with an intense expression, arms crossed. Ches is lanky himself, but there's a strength in him that's completely missing in this kid, and for a moment he feels a little stab of empathy for him. This place is going to chew him up and spit him out.
The stab of empathy completely wears off when the kid starts singing some song from the 80s at him and Ches can just feel the magic in it. Probably he wouldn't have felt the magic if he hadn't run into his fair share of witches in his day, but the fact is that he does feel it. Hands on his hips, he narrows his eyes and stares the guy in the face.]
Really? You're going to spit magic at me and you're not even going to sing country?
A VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE!
He doesn't have the grace to even look ashamed over trying to curse the dude, so much as mildly inconvenienced. Then Jeff just smiles a little and shrugs one shoulder lazily.
"I'd have to work on my twang first."