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redstringtheories2023-03-01 08:44 am
TDM #20
(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.)
(cw: spiders; spider eggs; swarms; uncanny valley; loss of bodily autonomy; full encasement)
Beware the bus.
His name is Gus.
Don't shout.
Don't run.
Don't make a fuss.
Gus the bus.
Bus the Gus.
He's big and bright.
A mean old cuss.
The sing-song rhymes haunt the streets of Gloucester this month with young people, in particular, muttering to each other about a haunted bus that just has 'G1_15' fixed on its scrolling route sign. They've taken to calling it Gus, and regaling each other with tales of seeing it picking up and dropping off vagrants late and night when no one else is around to see it.
Enough sleuthing will uncover that these sightings, such as they are, seem to happen around 2 AM along Dory Road, where the Dogtown Trailhead existed before ADI and the local police force had the park shut down. Gus doesn't appear most nights, but for the lucky few who do spot him prowling, two things will become immediately clear:
1. He only seems to turn up when there are two or fewer people around; and
2. Gus is not a bus.
The hulking form that 'rolls' down the street does, indeed, look like a bus… head on. But catch him from the corner of your eyes and you will see that he skitters. The 'wheels' seem to extend in arachnid legs with two poking out from each well. His headlights are fractured, as well, with eight distinct lights winking away in the darkness.
Should one be foolish enough to remain at the single bus stop on this street or approach when they see him coming, they'll find their muscles locking up and, whether they want it or not, their body will move to board Gus. He'll settle down and let you in, should this happen. Welcome to a ride you won't soon forget.
The interior of the bus is filled with webbing and enormous white egg sacks. Try as you might, you can't seem to stop yourself from walking down the aisle and settling upon one of the sacks. You can speak. You can even scream, if you'd like. One of your fellow passengers may be doing so as small spiders swarm across them, slowly wrapping them in silk. But you can't get up, can't move to get off or fight the forces holding you. And as you sit, the swarm finds you and begins to wrap you in your own cocoon.
Once a person has been fully encased in the webbing, they will find themselves slowly losing consciousness. Instead of death on the other end, though, they'll awaken the next morning at the bus stop on Dory Road. somewhere on their person they'll be sporting a new tattoo… one that looks like spider webs.
It's probably fine.
(cw: altered perception; characters given cause to doubt their reality)
A single disturbance at a supermarket wouldn't have been enough to grab ADI's attention–Karens will be Karens, after all. But when two videos pop up on social media in one week featuring individuals in the produce aisle of two different Gloucester stores having what appear to be very similar mental breakdowns, it's worth at least a casual investigation. It's a bonus assignment, with ADI offering anyone who is willing to check out the grocery stores in the area a small payment for time and reimbursement for any related purchases.
For the majority of investigators, this little assignment is a big dead end. Local supermarkets, including the two with known events, are to all appearances ordinary grocery stores selling ordinary produce. Just a few people will see an odd sheen to the fruit that's heaped up in the produce bins. Upon closer inspection by those select individuals, the fruit in question appears to be made of wax. Touching it, weighing it in one's hand, smelling it, cutting it open, or even eating it just confirms what they see: it's wax through and through, too lightweight to be real, too smooth and brightly colored and false, a mouthful of lies.
To the people around them, though, obliviously picking out what they believe to be real food, the fruit remains as real and as heavy with juice as one would expect from real, solid food grown from the earth. For the majority of people, both local and interdimensional, the fruit is fruit by every measure, including taste. It's not especially perfect or delicious, not anything out of the ordinary in today's world of hothouse agriculture: it's simply fruit from the supermarket, as one would expect to buy on any ordinary day.
Food or wax? Are you digging your teeth into your next meal, or into a lump of inedible decor? Is perceiving the fruit as wax a delusion, or a hidden truth? Who can say?
(cw: compulsion)
There are many who would claim to hear a siren’s call to their local library. The lure of knowledge, escapism, or simply a quiet nook to help maintain focus, there’s an appeal to wandering the stacks for all kinds of people. Even if you’re not usually such a bookworm you might feel a bit of a draw when you happen past the unassuming building just West of Downtown. It’s ignorable, if gut feelings really aren’t your thing, but the curious might find themselves called closer.
As soon as your shoes touch the floor of the open main room, the call you’ve been hearing becomes a little louder, if only a little. There’s a whisper near your ear, like someone just a bit behind you speaking too low to hear. Someone familiar. Someone trusted.
Delve deeper. The voice gets more distinct, the words recognizable even if they never go over a whisper. It coils through your ears and your mind and your limbs, a sweet ribbon of promise. Come closer, don’t you want to hear? Don’t you want to know? Look harder.
Towards the back of the main room, near where a cluster of tables stands vigil, sits the history section. Local, State, Country, World, a wide manner of options present their spines proudly, though not a one seems to lay claim to the source of the whisper. Best just to listen, then, to your dear friend’s message.
Those who listen to the words will find information is their reward, information about them. Information about home. Is it the secrets in your past? The concerns of the present? Knowledge impossible to confirm from your future? Perhaps you should listen longer. Perhaps come back and check again. Or maybe just ask your friend nearby, they certainly seem to be listening keenly.
- ARRIVAL (March 1-31): Two people will almost 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 information about the state of ADI Headquarters.
- THE WHEELS ON THE BUS (March 1-15): Gus will only appear when there are two or fewer people on the street. There is no way to stop yourself from boarding Gus should you become trapped in his control, nor can characters physically fight against remaining where they are in the bus. Gus does not affect the thoughts of anyone he meets, merely controls their bodies. Those who wind up riding him and earning a spider web tattoo are free to decide where this tattoo is and what, precisely, it looks like. For the moment, there doesn't appear to be any ill effect from the tattoo. Maybe your new friends just want to make sure you remember. Characters may ride Gus more than once. They will acquire additional tattoos for each ride.
- WAX ON, WAX OFF (March 1-15): Any characters who see the fruit as wax will see wax regardless of which stores in Gloucester they visit; characters who see the fruit as fruit will see real fruit regardless of the store they visit. Almost all members of the general public see real fruit; a smaller majority of ADI investigators see real fruit.
- STORIED SUSURRATIONS (March 1-15): Characters who go to listen to the books whisper to them will, indeed, be told of some canon information relevant to them either from their past, present, or future! Any characters grouped up will hear the same message as those nearby, as the whispers carry on individually in the voice of someone the character trusts. The message doesn’t seem to change with new or prolonged visits, just the same message offered over and over again without a source.
(Excited for this thread! Raine’s already on their feet tho, btw~)
Owl?
Raine’s first instinct was Eda, and they were prepared for another round of having to lie that they were brainwashed, but Raine held that thought.
The mossy green hue, pointed ears, and the clothing the strange owl creature wore was enough to tell them this wasn’t their old friend. Raine didn’t relax, though. They finally looked at the things on the floor, at the things that fell on them. They were.. foreign. Some brightly coloured or shiny, but none familiar. Raine looked past the stranger, into the hall behind them. It was very.. white, and not at all like anything in the Boiling Isles that they’d encountered.
“How do you know my name?” Raine asked, their posture turning from hostile to guarded, but worried. The stranger didn’t seem threatening, but Raine didn’t quite know if they could trust them quite yet. Raine stood unmoved from their position, and clutched the shelves despite not really needing them anymore.
“And.. how did I get here? I was just getting home for the day after…”
Raine didn’t finish that sentence, but shut their mouth and frowned. They’d let the stranger answer questions before they threw any accusations, but it felt a bit coincidental that an owl found them. They hadn’t seen Eda since their encounter at the parade, but… they wouldn’t necessarily put it past her to try again. Raine certainly would if they were her, but also didn’t make sense. This was all too foreign to be Eda.
ty!!! <3
The Raine that stands before Rue - familiar features twisted in both worry and lack of recognition - certainly looks exactly the same as the Raine that they have known these last few months, but something is so obviously wrong.
The owlbear remains in the doorway, elegant neck ducked down just enough so that they can fit, towering where they stand but refusing to push in any closer. Even if they were bordering on friendship just months before, it's clear this version of Raine does not recognize Rue in this form - or maybe even, at all. Either way, they aren't about to push the boundaries of Raine's comfort when they are already confused and fearful, the last thing they need is a beast invading their space.
So they'll just stand out here, taking one graceful step back, so they don't feel so cornered.
"You don't remember me?" Hadn't they already dealt with all of these memory difficulties a few months back? Rue can't help the way their beak clacks together in annoyance, though their dark, deep eyes only hold gentle warmth for the other. "No, I suppose you do not. What a terrible inconvenience, though more for you than anyone else. We've been through this whole song and dance before, missing memories of this place, missing people and events. I promise you are in safe talons, my friend. We have known one another for some months now."
Sweeping out a graceful wing, they dip into a picture perfect curtsey.
"My name is Rue. We met through our mutual friend, Eda, though I admit you and I did not know one another as well as we both knew her."
no subject
When the larger being curtsied so elegantly and told Raine that not only was their name Rue, but that they were both close friends with Eda, an electric prickle of anxiety ran up their spine. Raine felt (and probably looked) uncomfortable at the mention of Eda.
“It's nice to meet you, Rue, but… Eda and I aren't really…”
Raine hesitated on what word to use. Friends? Talking? Dating?
Rue hadn’t brought up dating. They’d called them all friends. A word that unfortunately now didn’t quite fit their relationship.
…friends. Not anymore, at least.” They rubbed their neck, and averted their gaze from Rue. “We haven't really spoken since…”
Since the breakup. Raine didn't want to say that though. Even though they were pretending to be brainwashed, it still hurt. So, they let it go.
Instead, Raine peered past the door frame. They looked left, and then right, down the hall. Everything here was unfamiliar, but at least it seems safe. They took another step forward, when a wet squelch from their wet boots on the flooring pulled them back to the gross, cold water on their body.
“Rue, is there somewhere I could clean my clothes? Or.. replace them? I’m a little… wet.”
no subject
That being said, while they may not have said a word about them dating, they absolutely take in every little hint that Raine gives them. To hear that the pair hasn't even spoken for some time, that they are back to the same cavernous rift that kept them apart before, well, Rue may just have to do some digging about that later.
Casually, of course. Just a little pecking around, here and there.
But Raine steps forward with the loudest, wettest squelch in history and even Rue can't help the small chuckle that falls from their beak.
"It's not quite what social decorum suggests, but you are most welcome to come back to my apartment and change there. You can shower too, if that would help with all of this -" Ah, they wave a taloned paw up and down Raine's form. "Wet. I'm happy to let you borrow something of mine while you wait for yours to dry. It's no trouble at all."
It's maybe not the best option, which would have probably been simply never getting soaked in the first place, but it's an easy, safe pick if Raine needs a place to gather their thoughts and get dry.
no subject
"I definitely appreciate the offer. I'd just hate to be a bother and take your clothes."
Raine wasn't sure that the clothes would fit anyways, if they were all Rue's size. Rue was much bigger by comparison, but perhaps they had something that would work. Raine shivered, and hugged themself tightly to try and combat the chills that prickled up their spine. They made it past the threshold of the room and turned back to get a better look.
Raine's heart sank into their stomach.
Sitting in the puddle, was their violin. It made sense—they'd fallen asleep with it near them, considering they hadn't exactly intended on falling asleep in the first place.
Raine sighed, and wordlessly walked back into the puddle to retrieve it. They picked it up, looked it over, and shuffled back into the hall, next to Rue. They had a hard, tired line of a frown on their face, and took a moment to shake the water from the bow.
"I guess I have to clean this off too..." Raine muttered bitterly, and took a moment to shake the water from the bow.
At least, in all of this, they had their violin. As long as they had it, Raine could perform magic, and what else could they honestly possibly need? They'd even already made a new potential friend. Raine rationalized with themself that everything would surely be okay.
Raine gave their violin one last good shake before they let go of it, intending to dispel it back into the hammerspace to keep it safe for the time being. Instead, both the bow and violin clattered to the ground. Raine didn't even notice it at first. They stared back up at Rue, tired, and bewilderment overcame their expression as they processed finally that their magic didn't work. Their gaze shifted back to stare at the violin, and after some time had passed, Raine sank back to the ground.
"Actually, maybe you should just leave me here for now. I'm... I'm sure I'll be fine."
no subject
Not to worry, naturally. Rue has an assortment of clothes in various sizes, thanks to how many non-humans in this place have been in need of proper-fitting clothing. Not to mention they have an assortment of fleece pajama pants in varying colorful prints, after Kate was kind enough to show them how to use a sewing machine.
But before Rue can sweep Raine beneath their wing and lead them back to their apartment, the tone of everything suddenly shifts at the sight of their violin. They give Raine space to process through their emotions, seeing their beloved instrument soaked through, the realization about their current disconnect from their own magic, before Raine sinks back to the ground and Rue finally steps forward to help them back to their feet.
"Come now. Up off of the wet floor, my dear. You'll feel better after a hot shower. And a nice cup of tea."
no subject
Raine finally looked over their shoulder at Rue.
"Right.. thank you, Rue.." They picked their violin up off the floor, taking Rue's paw as they hoisted themself back up off the ground.
They'd pass on the tea, but they were too polite to tell Rue that.
"A shower sounds nice but- wait," They don't let go of Rue's paw, and instead gave them a serious, but worried look. "How do I know that I can trust you? I don't want to reject your hospitality, but I've been in a position at home where trustworthy friends aren't exactly... something I have too many of."
And one of them thought they were brainwashed, still.
Raine missed Eda. She'd know what to do in this situation.
no subject
But on the other hand, how is Rue meant to prove their trustworthiness on the spot?
"Raine, what other option is there?" Their talons gently curl around Raine's hand, delicately squeezing as reassuringly as they can. "I do not mean to speak so bluntly, but would you rather wander these unknown halls in wet clothing? If you do not trust me, I certainly do not blame you, but believe me when I say I am only wanting to help."
After that squeeze, Rue just as carefully releases Raine's hand.
"But if you do not wish to join me, please at least let me pick you up some clothing to change into here." A beat. "And perhaps a towel."
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"I'm... sorry Rue. I don't mean to sound like I don't appreciate your hospitality." Raine uncomfortably adjusted their glasses, eyes averted. "I just don't know- or remember you, and trustful people are in short supply where I'm from."
Wringing their hands together they took a moment to collect their thoughts a little more. Maybe, just maybe, if Rue knew them, Rue would know any other witches or demons from the Boiling Isles. They had mentioned Eda...
"I don't really want to stay here. I'll come with you. I think I could use a shower, anyways.."
no subject
"Please, Raine, you do not need to apologize. The state you are in is not of your own doing and I completely understand your confusion and hesitance to trust me. But pray, I promise, whatever would make you more comfortable, I'm willing to do it."
Though if Raine's request get a little crazy, Rue may just have to text Eda to come pick them up.
"Please, this way. We'll make this quick for you."
no subject
Nevertheless, they swallowed their pain as best they could.
Raine played with the hem of their vest and smiled.
"Right. Thank you, Rue, I mean it." They timidly replied. "I'm.. looking forward to taking a shower."
Raine would follow wherever Rue led them. They just wanted to get changed at this point.
no subject
Thankfully, it's a short trek over to the ADI-apartment block, somehow the pair missing most of the work crowd so that Raine can make it out of the main offices with the least amount of embarrassment as possible. It wouldn't do to be seen by all of their soon-to-be peers like this, dripping and caught off guard, nearly on the verge of tears. No, it's a small blessing that all of the way back to Rue's residence, they barely catch the eye of anyone.
The owlbear opens the front door for Raine, ushering them inside, pleased to see that none of their own roommates are lounging around the living room watching television. It gives Raine a little more privacy.
Rue shows them right to the bathroom.
"Please, take as much time as you need. I'll grab a few things for you and set them right by the door for when you're finished, but really, there's no rush in the slightest."
no subject
Once Rue left, Raine left their violin on the ground outside the bathroom, and shut the door. They peeled their wet garments off their body, and unsure of what to do with them they just folded them to the best of their ability and set them on the counter. They took all the normal steps one would to shower, despite having to adjust to how human technology was slightly different than their own. They didn't really go through the motions in their own body, though- Raine had, by no real conscious effort, been put on autopilot. They didn't process or feel anything other than numbness, and the warmth of the water on their skin.
Only when the water started to run cold did Raine step out. They grabbed a fresh towel, and as they walked to the door to take whatever clothes Rue had set out for them. Their reflection in the foggy mirror caught Raine's attention, however, and they paused. Raine stared at themself, and mustered enough thought to consider that maybe, maybe this was all just a weird dream, or a realm where magic was somehow harder to cast.
Raine decided to try a spell circle- to try and summon anything. They closed their eyes and concentrated on summoning their violin from the other room.
Tears fell down their cheeks at the absence of the familiar rush through their body. They broke further, and braced themself on the counter as they sobbed loudly.
no subject
True to their word, Rue puts Raine's soaking clothes in the washer and sets out to start boiling water for their tea. By the time that the shower faucet flips off, they've already set out a few delicate teacups and some sweets for their guest to enjoy, hovering just so outside of the bathroom door, ready to help however they can the very moment that Raine calls for them.
But the call never comes, instead, they hear sobbing against the other side of the door.
"Raine?" A careful knock at the door, as Rue calls into the bathroom. "What's happened? Should I come in?"
no subject
"N—no, you don't have to— don't come in," Raine responds, rather quickly. "I can't— I can't draw a spell circle anymore. My magic is gone. I could only do bard magic and now I can't even do magic at all, and I'm alone."
Raine decided to sink onto the cool bathroom floor, and triedto calm themself down, running their hand through their hair as another sob racked their body.
"I don't know if I can do.. this."
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"Your magic is not lost to you. It only works differently in this place. Different rules for different realms. It takes time to learn how to navigate when you have had more freedom with your magic for so long, but I promise it is not gone completely. You are not alone, Raine."
no subject
Raine sighed, and shivered from the cold flooring. They wanted to talk with Rue more about what they'd both said, but Raine decided they needed to put clothes on before they got sick.
"Can I have some clothes?" They finally piped up. "Sorry, I just— I'm cold.."
no subject
Raine might need some more time to themself, just to collect themself and feel more prepared to talk, so Rue passes the clothing through to them before stepping away to give them a little more privacy. They can understand how devastating - or in Rue's case, rather terrifying considering it is the very source of their sapience - the loss of their magic must be, but they hope that Raine will be quite alright.
no subject
"I'm sorry, Rue," they sigh. "I must seem ungrateful. I'm.. thankful you're here. You can open the door, if you want. I'm dressed."
no subject
There's no hiding the gentle curl of concern in their tone as Rue finally opens the bathroom door, not crossing the threshold but peering inside.
"You have nothing to apologize for. Do you - Well, are you feeling refreshed from the shower?"
Not better, because clearly they are not better, but hopefully being clean will at least soothe some of their upset.
no subject
They lean against the counter, and their stomach growls a little. They hadn't realised they were hungry- it made sense, they'd fallen asleep at their desk quite late. But adrenaline had shut that sense down, until now.
"And... hungry. I guess."
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"Please, come rest on the couch and I shall see what we have to snack on. Then, if you like, you may take a brief nap before we return to ADI. The workers there will give you the full explanation you seek and provide you with housing. But if you would feel more comfortable, I'd be happy to sit through all of it with you."