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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.
no subject
"Thank you for letting me add you, Hunter! Now I'll send you a message..." They state, though it's mostly for themself.
They type a quick 'hello Hunter :)' and send it.
"What else can you show me?"
no subject
"Well, there's a thing called the Enter-net. Luz actually showed it to me a while ago."
She had shown him on her laptop, but he found the phone version was just as good and more convenient.
"It stores unlimited knowledge." He scans the face of Raine's phone and points to the browser icon. "That one right there."
no subject
"The enter-net..." Raine echoed, and pressed the icon. "Unlimited knowledge seems a little.. overwhelming. but..."
Raine smiled at Hunter, and gently pat his shoulder. It was short, and gentle as to not make him uncomfortable.
"You're a very smart witch, Hunter. I'm glad I have you to show me around."
no subject
He wasn't expecting the hand on his shoulder, which caused him to flinch back a little, or the compliment. His warning to not fall into rabbit holes (whatever those are) is immediately forgotten.
"Oh. Um. Thank you? But I'm just learning as I go."
no subject
"You're welcome, Hunter," Their smile softened a little. "It's still nice to hear about it."
They hesitate for a moment. They didn't want to upset Hunter, but they needed to acknowledge that he flinched. They needed to show him that they wouldn't hurt him, somehow. That he could feel safe around them.
"But uh.. Hunter. Did I make you uncomfortable?" Their tone is gentle, but concerned. "I apologise if I did."
no subject
"No. Sorry. I just, um...well...maybe..."
The first time Camila had reached for him, he'd practically shot across the room. Later she apologized and told him that if something bothered him, it was okay to say so. It was okay to have boundaries - something he never really had before. No one decent would push those boundaries, and he always thought Raine was decent.
He pulls in a deep breath. "I know you didn't mean anything by it, but I wasn't expecting it. Some warning in the future would be helpful."
no subject
"Of course, Hunter. If anything I say or do makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me. I don't want to hurt or upset you, ever."
Raine paused for a moment, having to muster up exactly what they wanted to say next.
"But also, I, uh.." They fidget with the collar of their shirt- a nervous habit they'd never quite gotten rid of- and continued their thought.
"If you.. ever need somebody to talk to about.. being in the Emperor's Coven, or anything else, you can talk to me. I know you don't know me very well, but the horrible things from the covens and Belos aren't unfamiliar to me. Being in the Bard Coven and becoming Head Bard was.. challenging."
Challenging was an understatement. Raine didn't want to bring up the horrible things that happened to themself or to others, though. Most of the coven heads and those directly beneath them enjoyed all sorts of deeds that usually ended up in somebody brainwashed, missing, petrified, or dead.
Raine guessed Hunter wasn't a stranger to those things, being the Emperor's nephew, but wanted to make sure he felt safe. They would rather extend a branch to Hunter and let him talk about what he was comfortable discussing, instead of traumatising the younger witch all over again.
Then Raine would dote over the palisman.
no subject
He blinked and looked away, lips pressed in a tight line. He wasn't sure he'd ever want to talk about the coven or his uncle or anything associated with that whole mess, but Raine was at least familiar with it.
A sharp tug on his hair brought him back to the present. Satisfied, Flapjack perched on his shoulder.
He turned his attention back to Rain and gave a tight nod. "I'll...keep that in mind. Thank you."
no subject
"Of course," They nodded at Hunter.
Raine's attention was once again caught by the red Cardinal palisman that perched on Hunter's shoulder. They gesture to Flapjack.
"Is this your Palisman? They're very cute," Raine waves at the little bird. "What's your name?"
no subject
"This is Flapjack."
no subject
Raine sits back in their chair.
"Darius had mentioned you had a palisman, but I never got to see them until now... how'd you find Flapjack? I assume you didn't make him. Palistrom wood is scarce now and.."
Raine didn't need to finish that sentence. It brought up old memories of Eda, and Owlbert, and..
Oh Titan, they missed Eda.
no subject
Still, he kept the bird hidden in the castle, and never thought to betray him to Belos.
"He's been around for...a long time, I think."
no subject
"When I was younger, despite the Emperor's efforts, there were people trying to keep the tradition alive despite how rare Palistrom wood was becoming. I don't know how that's been going." they paused and contemplated on whether or not they should mention the people in question were Dell and Eda Clawthorne. Probably not.
"But I heard a rumour that Hexside was working with the Bat Queen to adopt out Palismen that needed a home to young witches. I haven't been there in years, but it sounds like Principal Bump's really turned the place around. I wish I could see it for myself."
no subject
His face went red. He had stolen those palismen for the Emperor. He had come very close to ruining all of those little lives. "Oh... Yes. That's a thing that happened. The...adopting..."
Quick, what was the other thing they mentioned? People who knew how to carve palismen. "Like Eda?"
no subject
In fact, even if they wanted to, they were too caught off guard by Hunter's mention of Eda. They hadn't seen her around- in fact, they'd been actively avoiding her at the moment.
"Umm, yes. Like.. Eda," They awkwardly. "How.. how do you know her?"
no subject
"Uh." He waved a hand around with a weak smile. "She's the Owl Lady. Doesn't everyone know about her?"
no subject
Raine's shoulders relaxed, but they still had the tense, uneasy look on their face.
"We used to be close, actually. A long time ago. We both made.. choices that changed that. I'm a Coven Head now, and.. Well... You know how he feels about wild magic."
Raine stood up, and busied their hands with cleaning up the books. It was mostly so that Hunter couldn't see the solemn expression that came over them.
They didn't like pretending to dislike Eda- but adding her to the mix felt like a bad idea to Raine.
no subject
He listens, and tries not to let on that he knows some of this already. At the mention of him, he pulls Flapjack close to his chest, where the guilt is still heavy. "I know."
Aside from shifting a book from one pile to another, Hunter doesn't do much. His eyes are glued to the lettering on the cover, but all he notices is that it's embossed and a kind of gold color.
"But he's not here, so...so you're safe to..." His voice falters, and he hates that. Straightening up, taking a breath, he adds with more conviction. "It doesn't matter how he feels about it. He's not here."
no subject
"I know, Hunter. But things aren't.. that simple."
Raine had made sure of that when they'd fought with Eda at the parade. To them, without the knowledge that their old friend had been there longer than they had, it was best to just continue the facade.
"Besides, I don't think I'll run into her anytime soon. She's not even here."
Raine knew she was, by how Hunter talked. They just wanted to see if Hunter had anything to say about it.
no subject
Blame it on his lack of experience or his already knowing how their future plays out, but he doesn't understand why this has to be so complicated.
He says slowly, "If she were here, what would you do?"
no subject
"Well, I-"
What would Raine say to Eda if they saw her? They certainly did have a lot to say. Some good, some bad, and some they didn't want to think too hard about or they'd blush.
Raine furrows their eyebrows, enough to convey they didn't want to answer that question.
"I appreciate you trying to help, but.." their expression softens again, to looking more tired than anything else. "Eda and I would have to fix things ourselves. If we both wanted to. Nothing I wish I could say can change that."
no subject
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried."
It wasn't his intention to cause any upset, and he doesn't want to make anything worse. Not when Raine is acting strange and - he glances at his phone - Eda isn't responding.
"I've taken up enough of your time. I should...go."
no subject
"I'm not angry at you. You're just..." They sigh, their shoulders slumping, and they looked away as they continued. "You want to help, but you don't have to. It's... not your mess to fix, and I wouldn't want to put that on you either. Eda and I have a long history together. But, that changed and.. it's okay. You don't. Have to worry about it."
Raine offered a weak, but apologetic smile.
"Besides, I'd rather you show me more human stuff that you've learned about. I'm.. a little lost here, and Rue can only help me so much."
no subject
His smile is also weak, a bit timid, as he moves forward again.
"I...did spend a lot of time learning about the Human Realm before coming here..." Not to brag or anything. "What do you need help with?"