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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Please. Especially if one of them works for you.

[He purses his lips. He doesn't want to alarm people, but he also doesn't want them to fall victim to the Trckers' psychological tricks.]

I would suggest not looking at the ribbons in the sky. And ignore your dreams.

[Leia nods.]

I'll write them down for you then, along with the shop I usually get them from. The owner does custom blending too, if you find one that somewhat helps, but you want to 'fine tune' it a bit.

As for the rest if it, I've already been doing the former as much as possible; it was interesting at first, but just ended up giving me a headache. And I've never been one to put too much stock in dreams as anything other than evidence that our subconscious minds are far stranger than we expect.

[And what she's been experiencing couldn't really be described as 'dreams' anyway, as they pop into her head while she's awake.]

Frankly, I'm more concerned about the way the current administration is handling things. Not or your end, really, but all these constant reminders being broadcast about 'being vigilant' and 'reporting anyone acting suspiciously' aren't really accomplishing much besides putting everyone on edge. Yes, vigilance is important, but if they keep at it the way they have been, it's likely to turn into straight up paranoia. I really don't want to see this whole 'Voidtrecker' business turn into a witch hunt.

[Loki drums his fingertips on the table restlessly.]

It is a balancing act, how much to tell the people to keep them informed without causing a panic. To tell you the truth, I do not think the administration has found the correct balance. We should not be distrusting each other; rather, we should be watching out for each other and checking our own thoughts.

[Leia nods.]

Speaking of information, that's something else that's odd. Have you noticed that everyone seems to have the exact same information, no matter their position? You'd expect that some people would have more information than others, or that since things are mostly spreading via rumors, that it would change in the telling from person to person, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

And what's even stranger, at least for me personally, is that I can't seem to remember where I first heard any of these rumors. I usually have a reasonably good memory, so I should remember something relatively recent like that, but for some reason...

If you have noticed, I suppose there is no reason for me to deny it. That troubles me, too. How are we Heroes supposed to help set the fears of the people to rest when we know little more than them? Only the specialists like DFORCE need to know everything, but... everyone else should not know the same amount. Unless DFORCE does not know anything more...

[He gives a relieved chuckle]

I know where I first heard the rumors. It was during the transfer proceedings. Perhaps other transfer Heroes were less discreet and that is how the rumors got started.

Honestly, I'm not sure which thought is more disturbing. The idea that the higher ups at DFORCE know more, but are keeping it from the 'boots on the ground'-level heroes who might need it, or that no one actually knows more than what's circulating in a few rumors.

I'm not one for conspiracy theories or the like, but... As a political science teacher, I know enough history to say that both possibilities point to some very worrying connotations when combined with how the situation's being handled.

[Maybe her dislike of the current administration is making her biased, but none of this feels right. The calls to rally against an unseen enemy, the lack of hard evidence but plentiful rumors, the strange phenomena... It all feels... manufactured somehow. Like it's a front, meant to distract them from... from... from what?

She shakes her head slightly, trying to banish the vague sense of dread that's been nagging at the back of her mind all day.]

Ugh... I may need to get something with chocolate in it to go with this tea. I've felt like there's something sinister lurking over my shoulder all day, and I know there's no logical reason for it. I'm usually much more sensible than this, but apparently I can't even follow my own advice.

She sighs.]

And that may be. But I've lived here for years- [Why does that statement feel wrong?]- so I must have heard it from somewhere later. I can remember the day I first heard it, but not when that day, or from who.

Someone has to know more than the rest of us, or else I would not have been brought in to help. Maybe they do have a good reason to keep us in the dark. [Such as that the Treckers can get into people's minds, but that's probably not something he should discuss with a non-Hero.]

I wish this were past us and we had all the answers. The uncertainty is the worst part. And I cannot help but think that it is the true threat. Intentional or not.

[He looks at her sharply (and scowls involuntarily at the stab of pain in his head, ugh sleep deprivation headache).] What do you mean by something sinister? This happens while you are awake?

[Leia is slightly surprised at the sharp look, but nods.]

Yes. Off and on all day today. It's nothing specific, just a vague but persistent sense of dread. At first I thought it was just all the rumors finally getting to me, but it seems like a bit more than that. I keep looking over my shoulder, half expecting to see some sort of... [gestures vaguely with one hand].... dark cloaked figure or something lurking there, when logically I know there's no such thing.

That could be paranoia, but so specific as to have a figure in mind...

Listen. You should probably keep this to yourself, but... I think the Void Treckers can get into our heads and put things there.

[Leia opens her mouth to say that she was just using a vague example of an evil presence, but...

A decrepit-looking old man with sagging, chalk-white skin, gazing out from under the hood of a black robe with eyes that looked like burning coals, but at the same time were as cold as the most starless tract in the depths of space. And his sinister, croaking laugh...

...she closes it a second later, wrapping both her hands around her cup of tea as if to try and warm them, despite it being a comfortably warm afternoon. Somehow, even the fleeting thought of that... horrible old man made her feel cold all over.]

It... wouldn't be unheard of. My own power allows me to directly influence people's emotions with my voice. And there've apparently been enough instances of people with similar powers for people who have them to be banned from running for political office.

[Loki stares back into his cup.]

I know an empath. She is fairly certain she could uncover any Treckers, and she might be able to tell if anyone is messing with minds. The problem is, she's still a minor, and I- I don't want to get her too involved.

[Leia nods.]

We may all end up involved eventually, like it or not. But I agree; it's best not to involve minors if it can be helped.

Though that does make things harder. I'd gladly assist, but my power isn't much use for detecting anything, at least not directly.

[He doesn't look up, and when he talks again, his voice is low.] That is what I am most afraid of. That all of Jinnjar will be drawn into this strange battle, and the rest of Diagad as well. I am supposed to keep that from happening, and yet I have done more to draw people in than protect them.

This isn't on your shoulders alone, you know. And it's not wrong to accept help from willing people who are old enough to give informed consent.

[After a moment's consideration, she reaches out to rest a hopefully comforting hand on his shoulder.]

People are stronger together than they are apart. Heroes or not. And potentially dangerous times are when it's more important than ever for people to support each other.

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So Familiar a Gleam: Start

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