middleofsomewhere | So Familiar a Gleam: Start

So Familiar a Gleam: Start

JINNJAR CITY

"Welcome to Jinnjar City! A city famed as the central power of all of Diagad, and where the magic happens. It has a big history: the birthplace of the first Heroes Association that led to the creation of the Interstellar Justice Alliance, the protectors of the universe. Compared to other places, Diagad's what many people call a superheroes world, but that isn't true. A lot of us don't have the crazy powers that some of the popular folks have! And people like me? We don't care about saving the world! I'm just trying to make it through school, hang out with friends. Live my life!

People tell thousands of stories about us though, and that I can be proud of. When other planets call for help, it's us that comes running to their aid. Our heroes put their lives on the line for anyone who needs a hand, and sure, I don't count myself one of them... but I want to share their story anyway.

Well, I don't need to be telling you about this city, do I? You're a part of it! Always have been, just like me. So I should talk about some funny stuff that's been going on lately instead…”

A TL;DR notes version of days/prompts: (click to show)

EVENT BASICS: Un-apped AU characters were taken 1 week before the event from their own worlds, their minds altered to believe they were always from Jinnjar, Diagad. They have a superpower because of this and a new life either living alone or with family (other NPCs or PCs). Go to the OOC post for more info.

DAYS ONE-TWO:

Strange streams of colour in the sky have appeared, and looking at them for too long causes strange headaches. At this point you’re not sure what they’re about, but you can investigate them. However, trying to get right close to them is impossible. You will never get high enough. Regardless, let us know if characters will be investigating anything!
Voidtreckers arrive, be on the lookout. People are excited about finding these infamous criminals, and may be bothering those wearing peculiar watches, or the colours of Blue, Red, Purple, or Orange. You might be one of them: the bothered, or botheree. Many games or movie criminals are some adaptation of these Voidtreckers. A lot of people are worried they’re behind the phoenonem in the sky.
Nevertheless, people will still have their own lives to deal with, regardless of worrying events. Play around with what job your character has, if they’re in school, what work they do; if they’re drawn to a night life or just hanging around wherever they like. Characters not used to technology in-canon may find themselves having trouble with this world (despite believing they’ve always lived here).
Some of the Voidtreckers who are most resistant to illusions and mind control will be breaking out by the end of the first day. They will have to lay low and plot in secret, figure out how to make contact with others. The SCA comms do not work.
Other Voidtreckers might begin having dreams about their past by day 2-3.

DAYS THREE-FOUR:

Those who have been brought to the world begin to dream of their real and past lives, if just in very small and confusing snippets. Some of those dreams may bleed into reality, and people may start to recognise absolute strangers, but don't quite always know why. This is stronger for Voidtreckers than 4th wallers.
Random electronics seem to be glitching in odd ways, particularly the training centres, which lock people in together, even random strangers. Mostly it's harmless and more of a pain. People also swear they think they see the tops of buildings 'glitching' or colouring out. People have been speaking about pets going missing on walks, though the zoos and such are mostly fine, save for some of the higher up bird sanctuaries.
More of the Voidtreckers and some of the more resilient guests will begin realising the reality of the place they find themselves in. That this is not their own world at all.
The propaganda of the city starts to escalate, warnings about the dangerous voidtreckers and reminding people of how great the city is.

DAYS ONE & TWO: SLICES OF LIFE

"This is an emergency broadcast to everyone in Jinnjar City. At 08:00 today, a breach into the city was attempted by the invading force known as the Voidtreckers, who have tried countless times before to take over Diagad for themselves.

While it's believed the group was resisted, citizen are advised to watch out for anyone acting suspiciously in the city, and to watch out for this emblem. Please call the D-F-O-R-C-E hotline if you see anyone you suspect of being an intruder!

Remember to keep low altitudes while we deal with the phenomenon above."

[ RAINBOW SKIES. ] "Everyone's been speculating about what's been going on up above. About a week ago, these long streams of twisting colours suddenly spread through the purple skies of Diagad, rainbow colours inking the clouds. They've been growing out, like merging with the sky itself, and news broadcasts have been telling people not to worry. But what even are they? They say that looking at them for too long causes headaches, while some swear up and down they've seen things in them! I've heard a couple of friends talking about investigating them, but I dunno..."

▷ Twisting streams of colour are becoming exposed in the sky, and indeed, those who look too long high up will find themselves receiving headaches and dizziness. They’ll fade once you look away, but those who do decide to investigate by getting close will experience a tug, as if something yearns to take them somewhere. There will be patrolling Heroes - this world's equivalent of police - keeping an eye on things. Maybe your character is one of them, or posing as one. Maybe your character wants to learn more about what these are. Regardless, they won’t be able to get significantly close to the streams no matter how high they aim.

[ THE VOIDTRECKERS. ] "Gossip is HOT about these Voidtreckers. I remember seeing a movie about them once, based on something that happened years ago. They tried hacking their way into taking over a dyson sphere being built - like a giant structure around a star. There's other stories about them too, but are they really the ones behind this? Who are we even meant to be on the lookout for? I don't know... I'm kinda spooked. But do they seriously ride around in a flying train?"

▷ You've heard about the Voidtreckers, whether you remember stories about them or not. Are you bothered about them? The news broadcasts say they got rid of them - then why are they asking people to look out? And what are you supposed to look out for? On top of the emblem, there's chatter going on about watching out for people wearing strange devices on their wrists, and wearing colours of Blue, Red, Purple, and Orange.

Will you defend your city from these mysterious foes? Be smart about it, or rash? Or maybe you're interested to know more for your own deeds… whether or not they’re the Voidtreckers of tale, they may have resources for furthering your own goals.

[ LIVING YOUR LIFE. ] “But nevermind all that! Life’s about having fun and hanging out with your friends too. I work part time, but I’ve got plans after my shift’s done! Doing some shopping, going to see a movie. I can’t stress out about the funny stuff going on. And I heard the new waiter in my favourite cafe is suuuper cute!”

▷ Despite the few anomalies going on, you still have a life part of Jinnjar City. You have a job filled with devices that you’ve been surrounded by all your life, or certainly longer than a week or, so you know how to work a coffee machine, right? You know how to drive an air taxi!

And where would you take one to? To anywhere: to the gym, one of the training centres, a spa, to the movies - normal things that everyone around the city have always been around. Meet up with some friends for fruit smoothies, or watch one of the shadow displays held by the Georgi’s Gang around every street, putting on shows to mesmerise and delight the kids.

Or how about buying your groceries to take back to your apartment or house? You know what all these fruits are! Right? Right?

… … maybe it’s produce from another planet.

DAYS THREE & FOUR: JUST ANOTHER NORMAL DAY

[ DREAMS. ] “Dreams are just dreams, but a lot of people have been talking about them. Like, really being disturbed by them? Not in a creepy ohhh a monster’s coming for me! way, but like, they say they see worlds they swear they’ve been to before. Or see people? I wouldn’t really think about it except, there’s this guy… not like a super cute guy, but someone I think I knew…”

▷ Talk about dreams have been popular lately, though not everyone has them - or, not right away. Sometimes people may be at work, in school, doing nothing in particular when a name (important to their real self) appears in their mind, a flash of scenery. Coming as quickly as it goes. They don’t know what it means, if it isn’t just a symptom of the latest weird gossip influencing them.

But it sticks with you, something you can’t completely dismiss. But surely it’s nothing - right?

[ ANOMALIES. ] ”Just what we need! My friend’s dog’s gotten lost! She was taking him for a walk, and then she just says he went running ahead, and poof! Disappeared! Maybe he saw a cat? He’s always been a lazy chubby thing, but even dogs can’t help themselves, I guess…”

▷ The colours in the sky seem brighter today, closer...but it’s difficult to say for some, unless you’re actively studying them. Sometimes when you look above, you might catch - if just for a second - the tops of roofs glitching out, corners or streaks erased, colours meshing with the walls. You think it might be the light or your eyes, as it never lasts long, and even standing around waiting to see it happen again won’t give you what you want.

You may have other things to worry about than tricks of the light. Animals have simply been...disappearing, and always the ones owned, or particularly birds that fly around freely. People will ask you for help, and it’s weird they need to. Most owners have a tracker chip and app, and either apps show a blank map, or show them just standing in place...a place that when you get there, is nothing, no one.

[ TRAINING CENTRE. ]
“Really though, other than the weird sky business and how jumpy the news has made everyone about the Voidtreckers, the only odd thing that’s been up is some weird stuff happening at the training gyms. Even I saw it! I was just doing my warm-ups for the day when the field I set it to, the sky...these shapes suddenly appeared, dark and looming. It seriously creeped me out. But it’s just a glitch, right?”

▷ Young or old, the training centres around the central district are a popular spot for everyone to give their powers a safe space to be unleashed. While there’s basic simulations that’s free for everyone to use, people can be personal trainers, or even run group sessions in the bigger rooms.

Sessions aren’t always linked, since getting private training is allowed. However, lately, people keep getting jumped into other’s sessions, and can’t get out until they finish the routine. Sometimes they’re simple, where you need to destroy building block-esque cubes, or superspeed through courses twenty times. But then there’s also story modes, such as…

Castle Defence: Help protect the castle of Erna from the tricky Voidtreckers! They’re trying to storm the castle, and the world needs your power to help keep them away. Difficulty is based on the amount of people present, and speed of the individual. Do you turn things green? Then turning a Voidtrecker green will make them pop! Good job!

Kama Aid: Floating spheres have been lured inside a giant 3-tiered labyrinth ball. You must help the spheres - come in optional people-shaped or even cute animals - be released back outside where the air is fresh. Use telekinesis to tilt the tiers like a ball tilting game, or use super-strength to destroy the different tiers!

Dia Mysteries: A theft, vandalism, maybe even a murder. The crime scene is locked down, and something is afoot. Use your telepathy to gain information from the suspects, sneak into a secure area under invisibility... the solution is yours to find in this investigative simulation.

[ A PSA or Six. ] ”Stay vigilant citizens of Diagad. Please report any suspicious behavior to the DFORCE force.”

Announcements blare from speakers on public transport. Adverts pop up as they scroll through Diagnet. All remind citizens to be on their guard, report strange or disturbing behaviour and keep a look out for any of the symbols or colours of the Voidtreckers.

"Heroes don't keep secrets! If you have suspicions about any dangerous people in our midst, let your local DFORCE force know. Speak the Truth. Save the World."

▷ Billboards are plastered with bold posters reminding citizens to keep an eye out for the Voidtreckers or anyone who they might have tried to sway to their side. For those beginning to glimpse that this city might not be what they once had thought, this could be dangerous especially if their families and friends believe the city truly is under threat.

credits: text box - city banner - city side - coloured sky by benjamin0000

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Clear-minded

Kelly had never been more thankful of her job than she currently was. Number-crunching had been a safe haven since she was little, something logical and all-consuming to drag her focus away from the barrage of emotions that flooded towards her thanks to empathy power, and the last few months had been especially horrendous with everything spiralling from Albert's injuries and the constant play of 'what-if' even as her and Eli spent their time coaxing the youngest triplet through recovery that had lead to a constant aura of fear and anger choking up the house.

Fortunately, Albert had been showing some improvements recently, which mean that Kelly could spend a day or two a week back in the office as the head of a large company's accounting department. Unfortunately, she was so focused on getting into work on time that she didn't notice the cluster of emotions heading towards her, colliding with a person walking in the other direction, and sending their phones clattering to the ground.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"

Everyday Heroism

Kelly's powers, unlike the eldest of the triplet's, aren't suited to directly fighting villains like the Voidtreckers. However, she always vowed to help her brother in his work by doing heroic things on a much smaller scale. She may not be strong but she knows negative emotions when she feels it. And so she approaches the person leeching negativity like a miasma and offers then a hand and a smile.

"Hello, you look like you could use someone to talk to?"

Clarity

It was a fair number of days since the announcement about the treat of the Voidtreckers had gone out and it had certainly been an interesting one. The swell of emotions around building and intensifying each day until ~~Kelly~~ Q'uila finds herself staring at the familiar face of another Passenger with steadily mounting horror.

"Oh fuck." The expletive is dropped with a quiet finality as the situation starts to sink in for this Warrior of Light.

Cognizance is jarring.

Especially after realizing you've gotten so well-adjusted to a life that isn't your own; that you're happy to a degree, reliving bygone eras of school-time and youth. Roland's eyes widen as Q'uila curses, close to his face, bumping into him at the park. While he could argue she was only inclined to react violently based on her assumed reality, he no longer has the mind or perception of a fake him, of a twenty-year-old that never was. His mind and his senses and his memory is back at full force...

...which means Roland knows the park is far too public to react thusly, and eyes are still hot on anyone who might look or sound even remotely suspicious. He has to lead them out of here where they can talk, out of sight and out of mind. So he pretends, and as he does so, hopes Q'uila catches his drift.

A firm hand wraps around her forearm, his smile natural but his gaze twinkling with laser-focus. 'I know. We need to go. Now.'

"Hey, it's you! I interviewed you for our paper on Corporate Research way back then, do you remember?" He laughs convincingly enough. "Gosh, sorry. You work all over the place you must not remember. I'm Roland, from Jinnjar U? How've you been?"

Never let it be said that Q'uila couldn't adapt to unexpected circumstances, all it takes is for Roland to grasp her arm for her to wrestle her open shock and horror into a wide smile.

"Oh yes! God it has been awhile hasn't it?!" She gives his arm a squeeze, "I've been well, thank you. We should go grab a coffee and catch up!"

Perfectly played.

"Hey, that sounds like a plan! Come on. I work part-time at a café nearby, maybe I can grab us a discount?"

Roland laughs, nods eagerly as they start to move as naturally as two acquaintances reconnecting. He reciprocates the squeeze with an arm slung over her shoulder, enough to speak in breaths heard only between the two of them. For just a second, his façade drops.

"Are you okay? How long since?"

You woke up?

Kelly laughs and answers with a cheery, "That sounds lovely, I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about!"

Q'uila's quite response when not channeling her illusionary self is less upbeat, "Just now, though it has been building for a fair few days; strange dreams, odd thoughts, and unusual habits that Kelly does not have but come from me," Her tail lashes for a moment, "Whoever stuck us here has placed me in an... interesting personal spot."

"Wagh!" Falling back a step, Edward immediately adopted what was supposed to be a comical martial-arts pose. Today, however, it looked shockingly competent, though that was probably not the first thing on either of their minds.

"My fault!" he said after a moment, ducking down to scoop up the phones. "You know I'd never fail to notice you normally!"

Which... was an odd statement for him to make, as well, since normally he was quite proper in the workplace.

The ninja stance doesn't register to Kelly like it should have thanks to a niggling in the back of her head that she's use to seeing such a pose. Although where from she wouldn't be able to say.

Kelly was also reaching for the phones when Edward makes his remark, bringing Kelly up short in confusion. Kelly liked to think she knew her coworkers at least passingly well and she couldn't recall Edward ever making such a remark before, and it seemed like Edward couldn't either, if the clear ringing of confusion from the man was anything to go by. Resolving to distract from there collective confusion Kelly laughs it off.

"I guess both of us were a bit distracted. You alright, Edward?"

"I should be asking you that! There's not really a way I'd come off the worse from that collision." He was quite thin, as it happened, but still had the mass and height advantage over her. "Really quite shameful of me. I'll have to think of a way to make it up to you."

He offered her phone back, quite gallantly.

Tidus...doesn't know how to be discreet. He's not exactly making ice sculptures out in traffic, but he also doesn't know if he's keeping incognito. At least he's trying, while at the same time of looking for familiar faces, trying his luck at the good ol' approach and say a name, hope he doesn't get bizarre looks.

And no, what he gets is an, 'Oh fuck' -- a response that, in deciding his own back,

"Oh fuck!" he repeats in acknowledgement. Like yes, yes! Oh fuck! That's right!!

Q'uila groans in dismay, cheeks flushing in embarrassment and hides her face in her hands, "Tidus, I need you to do me a favour. Kill me. Just finish me off, then I can avoid the mortifying situation awaiting me at 'home'."

"Eh?" Tidus stands there, trying to process this for a moment - wondering what would give him a reaction like this. If he was out of his mind and living with other people...

"...Did you sleep with someone from the--?"

Train?

Q'uila's face is a mask of dull confusion as she stares at Tidis.

...
...
...

"OH GODS NO!"
Q'uila's shout draws the attention of some of the others in the park, prompting the Miqo'te to give Tidus a shove and let out a loud, obnoxious laugh. Nothing to see here, just two friends mucking about. Once the attention is off them, Q'uila hisses at Tidus, face a blazing read and fur fluffed up to maximum volume.

"Why in the seven hells would you say that?!"

Tidus lets out a 'guh!' as he's shoved, expression confused as Q'uila laughs and about ready to awkwardly join in himself. But then she stops, except if only, when she bristles and hisses in his direction.

"Wh-what else was I supposed to think!?" He protests, voice lowered but still pitched by the heat being thrown his way. Why's he in trouble, he didn't so anything wrong, why is she angry at him!!!

It's not anger but mortification that has the Miqo'te literally ruffled up.

"Bloody hells, anything but that!" She groans, "What I was swearing about is the Elidibus is my brother here!" Her ears completely flatten as she whispers this to Tidus, her face also scrunching up in a manner not dissimilar to someone who has just sucked on a lemon.

"Oh, him?" Him? That guy did say there were people here he knew when Tidus thinks about it, but standing there and thinking about the guy...

Tidus's baffled expression only turns more so. "What's up with him?"

Is it because he sounds like he belongs in an academy with robes and old people?? Does Q'uila have a thing against stuffy formal guys??

Q'uila's fur doesn't settle, if anything it bristles more, not at Tidus but when thinking more on Elidibus.

"That man and those of his organisation are responsible for many a Calamity that has befallen my world and the Shards of existence that fractured from it. Needless to say my own level of skill is due to continued conflict with the Ascians and their plots."

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blitzcheer - 2021-07-29 12:05 (UTC) - Expand

The person she walks up to is a man in his forties, with long russet-red hair shot through with threads of silver, pulled back into a low pony-tail. He wears a tweed jacket, which makes him seem professorial--and indeed, if she's at all familiar with the local university staff, she might recognize him as an instructor there.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I've had such dreams lately."

The professor did stir a feeling in familiarity in Kelly from her somewhat recent time at university but there was a twinge of familiarity that felt deeper than that, like she had seen him somewhere else completely but couldn't put her finger on that.

"No worries," She waves off the apology, "Dreams do have a way of getting us all tied up in knots. What was it about, in my own experience I've always found talking about it has helped?"

'Nate' looks up from where he's been working on fixing a computer the next desk over and stretches slightly, blue button-down shirt and khaki pants slowly revealing themselves as he stands.

"Is something wrong? You don't usually swear - at least not at work." He laughs a little bit with an ease Naoya almost never had.

Q'uila stares at Nate and curses the sudden clarity that being awakened from this strange infiltration has granted her. No wonder she had been feeling his emotions so keenly the last couple of days at work, Kelly had chalked it down to a fluctuation of her power, but Q'uila now knew it for what it truly was; a bond slipping back into a hole left empty for a long time.

And there was a warning out against the Voidtrekkers. Fuck.

"Ah, sorry!" She tries to give Nate a reassuring smile, "I almost forgot that Eli asked me to grab so stuff for Bertie on my way home this evening."

The keys on the keyboard keep typing as he shakes his head. "Eli... he could have done that before taking off for the day." He leans against the wall, watching her.

"... Are you feeling okay? Other than the Eli thing. You look kinda pale."

She shakes her head, letting Kelly come more to the fore, "Eli's run himself ragged recently, I think he feels guilty about Albert and is trying to compensate."

She doesn't just think, she knows but within the context of this world she couldn't just say to someone that it's because Eli is a superhero. The Warrior of Light. And isn't that ridiculous in retrospect.

"Oh, I'm fine. Although, Nate, do you know someone called Alice per chance?"

"Ugh, he really needs to take care of himself... you can't take care of all three of you."

The typing slows. "Yeah, she's a family friend -" He stops the typing altogether as he presses a hand to his forehead, suddenly stumbling back into the desk.

Green and a swirl of colors in his mind -

- soaring above sand dunes -

- explosions and growls and -

"... H... huh? Sorry, just... just a pain spike. Been staring at screens all day..."

Q'uila places a firm hand on 'Nate's' shoulder to steady him. She offers a silent apology to Nate as she plans to keep pushing.

"No worries, sometimes you need a break. Maybe we should go and get a massage, Felih has a spa afterall, and Pinya could provide the music."

"Felih... and Pinya..." He wavers a little bit and leands into her -

Soft feline fur against his leg. A small person curled up into his chest. Hands touching, bodies against each other -

"Q'uila?" He blinks in confusion at using the name. "Sorry... Kelly. I... I don't know why I feel so... maybe I should go home."

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dragoonrouge - 2021-07-15 20:21 (UTC) - Expand

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crouching_sin - 2021-07-15 20:37 (UTC) - Expand

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So Familiar a Gleam: Start

Q'uila Sunrise (CRAU!WoL) | Final Fantasy XIV | Purple

Clarity (day 4)

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wow i lost the notif for this, im so sorry

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Clear-minded

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clarity

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Everyday Heroism (Day Three)

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Clarity

Re: Clarity

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