TDM #1

[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.)

➥ Sticks and Stones

(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.

➥ I Will Survive

"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.

➥ Shifting Perspective

(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.

➥ Mod Notes

• 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.
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Comments

toji fushiguro | jujutsu kaisen.

[heavenchained]

001 » arrival.

( Disoriented and wobbly on his feet though he is, Toji is still managing to run and lob whatever he can reach at his pursuers.

Thankfully, one of the jackasses who occupies the private office has quite a few pictures of their family on their desk; he's hurling them like it's a more conventional weapon and not completely hilarious before the door roars open again ... )

002 » sticks and stones.

Come the fuck on.

( Toji kicks at the sizeable rock in front of him; while he's not too keen on admitting what's on the rock, he's not going to hide it, either. He looks towards his companion, phone already out and working towards opening the camera. )

I better get a bonus for taking pics of this bullshit.

003 » i will survive.

( Toji was made for this. Or that's what it feels like for all of a moment after the ADI employee gives their pointers and instructions and clears out. Toji knows how to handle all of these weapons and then some.

He's twirling a pistol in one hand and one might notice there's a trench knife on the other hand.

He addresses the nearest person: )

Think we could keep these?

004 » shifting perspective.

( Nope nope nope.

He's been in too many situations like this to just go scampering out there before at least making a plan. And then a back-up plan.

He pulls out his trench knife and secures it on his knuckles before addressing the person who came with him: )

I'll start stabbing if it comes after me, you keep recording. I can guaran-fucking-tee you that shit out there is bad news.

Shifting Perspective

[graveyounglady]

[That is a horrible plan, as far as Mercy is concerned. The young woman has been issued some more modern clothes at this point, but she's still wearing a cloth over her head, a sign of her status as a novitiate with the Sisters of Spring Tide. She keeps her voice at a fierce whisper.]

Don't go stabbing no one! They're already hurt. Look at them. They ain't fit to go after nobody. I'll go over and bandage them up, and we can get them back to ADI for some proper treatment.

[heavenchained]

( There's one thing Toji values, and that's paper-chasing.

Despite the seriousness of the situation and the money implicit in it, he considers, face stony. )

... Ok. I'll tail you, then. Just in case.

[graveyounglady]

You can tail me over there, but you're helping me carry them back if they can't walk themselves. I ain't a mule.

[And while she's strong enough, hauling random bodies had always been a family affair. Mercy stands and brushes the sand off her clothes before approaching the figure, hands up and a friendly smile on her face.]

Hey, there! You're not looking so good, friend. You need some help? We got-

[She's a yard or two away when she stops, finally taking note of the peculiar angles of this person, the way they almost glint in the moonlight in a way that doesn't look like ordinary water on skin. She's not overly familiar with the ocean, but she doesn't think it could be that different.]

Friend?

[Impulsive she might be, but outright stupid...? She leaves that to her big brother. And now she's looking over at Toji for his new read on the situation.]

[heavenchained]

( He does tail her closely, flexing his fingers in the knuckle duster with the pistol down by his side. He's not too bothered if the person engulfed in the surf were to react either way to the weapons.

There's something not right about this, and they closer they get, the more apparent this is. )

Don't get any closer—

( But apparently Mercy is close enough for the thing to screech and launch itself towards her, jaws impossibly wide and unfathomably hungry.

He's quick to react, raising his pistol and firing off a few rounds into its body.

It collapses hard into Mercy, but its limp, nearly lifeless. )

[graveyounglady]

[The young woman screeches as the thing lunges at her. She throws herself back, knees and hands up, ready to fend it off. It gets to her, but there's little actual fight in it when it lands. She lets out a string of extremely un-Sisterly profanity as she shoves it off and scrambles away to Toji's side. Unless he shoves her away, she'll grab his shirt and just stay there, waiting for it to move again.

The thing groans and shifts, digging clawed fingers into the sand and trying to drag itself into the surf.]

Y-you-you don't move! Stay there. I don't think that thing's human.

[At least they're both on the same page now.]

[heavenchained]

( He doesn't laugh, although part of him wants to. Shoot first and ask questions later hasn't failed him yet.

He fires off another couple rounds into the creature, startling forward with Mercy still attached to his side. )

Stay — ( BLAM BLAM BLAM— ) — DOWN.

[graveyounglady]

[She flinches at the sound of the gun and sees a time not so many years ago when a gun had-

No. This isn't like that. That was supposed to be play. This is real.]

It's done. It's done.

[Her hand moves up to Toji's shoulder. It had better be done with as much lead as he'd pumped into the thing. The sand squeaks under their feet as the waves roar quietly. The creature doesn't move, doesn't wine, just lies there, facedown in the sand. Mercy reaches into her haversack with her free hand, pulling out- the flashlight. They'd called this thing a flashlight. It takes her a moment to flick that on, and she points it at the thing.

What was sort of human under the moonlight is distinctly too sharp now that she has a better look at it.]

We... we need to call back to ADI, don't we? I reckon this is what was... Oh. They said people were going missing.

sticks and stones

[angelbirth]

Wait. Maybe it's best if we don't take a picture after all.

[ It's embarrassing enough if Toji's seen what's carved into the stone. He doesn't need anyone else to see it. Honestly, a better idea would be to figure out how to level the area and leave it at that. ]

Besides, this isn't paranormal. It's a rude message. I doubt they'd accept a picture of this as proof of anything unusual. Right?

[heavenchained]

It's about me, so I think it's up to me. It can't be graffiti.

( He snaps a picture anyway, eyes narrowing. )

How would they know anything about me? I just got here.

[angelbirth]

It's about... you.

[ He means for it to come out as a question, but the words fall flat. Even as he turns his gaze toward the stone to get another look, he sincerely doubts what's written there could be about anyone other than himself. Sure, he understands that's a little conceited, but... well, regardless, if he's wrong then his family has some explaining to do someday. ]

Forgive me for asking, but you're just a human, aren't you? What makes you think it's about you? It's probably meant to be about someone else.

[ If his companion here is going to take a photo, he might as well do the same on his own phone. He supposes the two of them can compare photos photos. ]

[heavenchained]

Human? Yeah.

( He scoffs a sort of laugh, half in amusement and half in irritation. )

I don't think there's too many people out there that have sold their son back to the family that they rejected. It even has my dead name on it.

( Zen'in. )

[angelbirth]

No, I don't suppose there are.

[ Satan breathes out hard through his nose, looking between the stone and the photo he took of it on his phone. He doesn't see a difference. ]

Your dead name? Your dead name is Lucifer?

[ He knows exactly how outlandish he sounds, but he's willing to ask these questions, stupid as they may be, to get to the bottom of things. Jaw clenched, he holds out his phone for Toji to see the photo he just took. ]

I don't see anything on this stone or in this photo about selling any sons, and the only name I see is Lucifer.

[heavenchained]

( He squints at the photo, then back at the rock. )

"Toji Zen'in sold his son back to the Zen'in clan, a family he once rejected."

( He feels a thrill up his middle at the admittance. )

That's what it says. No Lucifer.

( He pauses, then continues: )

I'm willing to bet this is the unusual shit they were going on about.

arrival

[120vision]

[ Gojou had returned to the area to try for a second go at getting information. But what he encountered instead of that was a hell of a lot of noise coming from one of the private offices. Of course, he has to check this out, so he strides over and opens the door quickly. But who he sees there is not someone he expected in a million years. ]

...you're supposed to be dead. That's rude, coming back like that.

[ He pushes his sleeves up to the elbows. ]

What do I have to do to fix this?

[heavenchained]

( Great! Gojou would show up while he's disoriented and throwing cute family pictures like ninja stars! )

Not much, feels like.

( He wobbles on his feet; the floor-to-ceiling windows suddenly look like a great escape option, but something stays him. )

You really want a knock-down drag out in this trash heap?

[120vision]

[ Gojou considers this. He seems to be really puzzling it over for a minute, like the option of fighting actually is tempting. But in the end, he shakes his head. He can't use his powers here, so he might not get an edge up on Fushiguro. It was difficult enough to manage it in the first place.

Not that he's going to mention he can't use them before he absolutely has to. ]

Maybe not. I'll take pity on you for now.

[ Yeah, that's totally what he's doing. ]

Do you even remember how you got here?

[heavenchained]

No.

( He wobbles again, then seats himself on the chair behind the desk. Best to ignore the pity statement, even though he wants to stab Gojou a whole lot. )

I don't suppose you do either.

[120vision]

No. I was sealed, then I was here. It seems impossible.

[ He realizes too late that he let it slip that he was in a compromised position before this. That probably isn't information he should share, at least not with this particular person. But Gojou's a little too distracted by trying to figure out how him being here at all is happening. ]

What's the last thing you remember?

[heavenchained]

You showing up out of the blue. Crazy-eyed motherfucker.

( He pinches the bridge of his nose, eyes screwed shut. )

Hadn't even thrown the first punch yet.

[120vision]

Aha.

[ So there were time shenanigans, as well as whatever else was going on? Gojou is amused by this more than anything. At least it explains a hell of a lot. ]

It took me awhile to figure out how you managed to get past Infinity. I even thought it might be on the fritz for a bit.

[heavenchained]

( Mmhm.

Yeah, sure.

Toji feels his fuse is shortened as he's sitting all disoriented; he doesn't really care to sit around and talk about the past. Especially not with this guy. )

Is it fucking up here for you? Or are you running around making heads explode here too.

[120vision]

I wouldn't know. They've communicated that using powers is out of the question.

[ This isn't something he really wanted to share, but it would come out eventually either way. It's a part of the orientation and Gojou couldn't prevent him from experiencing that. ]

But I'm not exactly a kid anymore. I could do a hell of a lot more than you saw, if they let me.

[ He doesn't have to play along with the rules. It's simply easier for now, until he figures out what's going on. ]

arrival

[cracked]

[there's a whir of sound arriving just towards the ceiling of the room, having entered the door. floating above his head is a small, basketball sized drone flitting about, its optical senses observing the pictures going flying in every which direction. Crypto stands some ways down the hall, away from the madman throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of an office building, but he's dealt with worse.

should be easy to take down, too, considering how agitated he is.

for good measure, the drone zips downward, passing right by Toji and then, towards the other side of the room near the exit door.]

[heavenchained]

( Toji swipes at the drone as it passes, just a hair too slow. He decides in an instant to follow it, grabbing a rather dense paper weight shaped like an apple off of the desk.

Then he gives chase. )