middleofsomewhere | So Familiar a Gleam: Ongoing

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So Familiar a Gleam: Ongoing

JUST Ā̸̛͇̹̈́͌͐͛̐̋͝Ǹ̵̠͍̲̘͈̮͈̺͔̤͙̳̓̔͑͌̒̓̃́̄̚͘Ớ̶̻̱̄̓͆͂̈́̄̔͋͌̽̀̕͘T̵͙͍͓̻̩͙̻͙̹͎̫̘͇̱̈́̌̓͝ͅH̶̭̻͇̰͈̯̦̹̦̗͐̒́Ẽ̵̡̡̘̳͉͇͚̼̗̣̩͎̞̏͒̈́̏͂̈͝Ř̴̠͋̐͘ NORMAL DAY

"Jinnjar citizens. Unfortunately, all train travel will be closed due to issues on the lines. Members of the Voidtrecker Express have been located around the city, and are deploying trickery to agitate and confuse us. We ask any volunteers at this time to help us locate any suspicious objects and people, and to restrain them.

For the f̴̘̯̰̦̺͖̔͌̋̃ũ̴̢̖̦͙̩̼̺̪͚͍̥͈̜̝͋̌̒̊̚ẗ̶̪̺͕̤̯̞̤͓̝́̑̄̎̊̕future of our city!"

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

EVENT BASICS:

DAYS 5 & 6:

By now, some people have broken out of their fake lives while some haven't. Tension is rising in the city as people are led to believe this is by the Voidtreckers, which some will believe due to illusions and messing with one's heads is believed to be one of their many tactics.
Some oddities are occurring with travel, and glimpses of how the city is made beginning to show. The streams of colour - the void - are getting brighter. Electronics are not working well. Some monster sightings are seen, but not to a large degree.
The prompts here are light to give characters and players time to ICly coordinate, as Voidtreckers are being more actively hunted. Some faces are known. You know who you are, troublemakers.

DAYS 7 & 8:

The world is really starting to go a bit wild now, with more things disappearing, animals on the loose and more monster sightings.
By the end of day eight most people have realised the truth though those who are very susceptible to mind control or very stubbornly wanting to believe in this world will still be trapped, believing this is the Voidtreckers doing.
There are monsters to fight, people to keep calm and a plan to make.

[ HOME SWEET...HOME? ] By day 5, the people of Jinnjar are in a state of anxiety more than before. There's those who realise they're not a part of this world, never were, while there's those who still cling onto this life. Health services say that the source of confusion comes from the colour trails that are brighter than ever in the sky, while the D-Force/Heroes have it confirmed - internally and publicly - that there are Voidtreckers amongst them.

The media shows pictures of potential suspects, some Voidtreckers, some not; a man with the same face as two others, one who made a show by creating ice in the middle of the street. Your face may be shown, but don't worry - they're asking people not to play vigilante.

That'll surely keep people behaved.

[ TRAVEL REVIEW. ] As if it couldn't get more frustrating, most of the trains are down. Air taxis are still available for short journeys, yet some people have the bizarre occurrence where they end up in the wrong spot, and even remember going in this wrong direction...but never say anything about it. Those using the tele-pads will also find themselves not always arriving where they should, or worse, suffering intense headaches, swirling colours behind their eyes, their thoughts jumbled for as long as ten minutes before it passes.

You might want to walk.

[ MAKING DO. ] Still, with all the chaos, many are trying to live. You have a life here, no matter what some other force is trying to make you believe,

For our HEROES: The cinema has rethought its showings due to the worrying happenings of the last few days. Clearly a boost in morale is needed and so they have pulled out some of the great films of the past. Action films that show heroes beating the bad guys, disaster films where the good guys beat the aliens, stop the natural disaster or thwart the secret agency looking to take down civilisation from the inside, at the last minute. Even the childrens films have taken on a pro-hero and triumphant air.

It's not quite distraction though, how could it be when every film has a warning before and after. REMEMBER TO REPORT ALL SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO DFORCE and WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW. REMEMBER TO WATCH YOUR SURROUNDINGS AS CAREFULLY AS YOU DID THE SCREEN.
Fun Park: It's for the kids, but one of the largest arcade parks has a special discount on everything to anyone who come visit. It's even advertised across the news: For half the price, get amazing fun and even better food! Kids younger than eight or from the orphanages get free access everywhere!

It's time not to think too hard, and to ignore the trouble! Play laser tag, racing cars or get a high score on the dance mat!
Encroaching Dangers: Something new is beginning to happen, as the city continues to shift. It starts at night, those that stay out past when the streets go quiet might see a shadow, might hear a growl.

Rumours and reports start to spread about monsters on the street.

DAY SIX: HELP FROM INSIDE

[ AID. ] DIAGNET is full of videos but one that has started doing the rounds is of a small droid and a cat. It's not hard to see why it has gone viral, the cat and cleaning droid are chasing each other around an apartment, caught on a home security footage. The cat tries to catch the droid but every time it gets close the droid turns to chase it and the cat runs away. It has been uploaded with stirring orchestral music, which adds to the madness.

But... For those Voidtreckers who have already regained their memories that little droid seems familiar indeed. As do the sounds that punctuate the music.

beep beep beep boop | boop

boop boop beep | boop boop boop

boop boop | boop boop boop | boop boop boop | boop beep | boop beep beep | beep beep boop | beep beep beep | boop

boop beep boop beep | beep boop | beep beep boop beep | beep

boop boop boop | beep boop beep | boop beep beepp | beep | beep boop beep

boop beep | beep beep boop | boop | beep boop beep | beep beep | boop | beep | beep boop

Of course it might not be anything, just weird droid sounds that haven't been fully edited out of the video.

[ MOONDUST CAFÉ. ] It might be that they figured out the message or, it might be that a friend is dragging them to the cafe. But for those that make their way there, they will find the Moondust Cafe is a bustling cafe on the edge of a park, near local transport links.

For those that say the right words, a slightly bored looking teenager manning the counter waves them to a side door. "Best sit downstairs, service will be quicker."

Downstairs has a fair number of tables and booths and is lit by coloured lighting making everything look a little obscure. There's soft music playing, not loud enough to make it impossible to hear each other but enough to make it a little harder for evesdroppers.

Mingle, discuss. This is probably the closest to a safe space there is.

[ LOST & LOST. ] You may have spotted it already - that is, spotted what's missing. There's been the pets, the birds in the sky, a pen or apple or wrench from the garage. But now, with every single bad thing going on, more is starting to disappear. Machines stop working, from air conditioning, freezers, your Jinnjar MP3 player, to TVs and more.

And in some business buildings, even entire rooms are gone, their floors empty of more than the door you opened to find this out. Even the heroes seem worried and they quickly clear any affected areas, chasing away bystanders and sealing off whole wings of office blocks.

None of them have answers though, except that this must be the Voidtreckers doing. After all who else but that group could have power enough to do such damage?

DAY SEVEN & EIGHT: UNRAVELLING

[ OVEREXPOSURE. ] Everything is starting to escalate. The headaches are getting regular the more you're outside, buildings are starting to go missing around the outskirts. People see parts of the city flickering, and when they reach certain sections of the city, they find they can't go beyond it.

Life tries to go on, but as more areas of the city begin to be sealed off and considered dangerous, even those who are most stubborn about pretending everything is normal can see that is is not.

[ LET LOOSE. ] The breaking down of the city has caused a lot of chaos, but one of the biggest problems are that parts of the zoo have vanished. Walls, fences, enclosure roofs. Meaning that the animals inside are no longer confined and are now prowling the city streets. Real birds now fill the sky that the fakes left empty.

And they aren't all that's there. Twisted creatures are becoming more common on the streets of Diagad. Creatures that look almost like animals but warp and twist between them, one moment a bear the next it has horns and then it is a wolf. But no matter how they look those claws and teeth are bad news for everyone.

[ CRUMBLING, CRUMBLING. ] By day eight whole streets are disappearing. homes, houses. people need to be moved in closer around the congress sector. Colours crackle through the sky like lightning and the world shakes often.

It's not just the infrastructure but the memories of those in the city. Dreams have come realities and all but the most stubborn have begun to realise that this world is not their own. They are from another place. What is going on? Why are they in this city? Who are these people who are their 'family'?

Confusion and anger are growing in the streets and it is perhaps time for the Voidtreckers to come out of the shadows.

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"But we're just talking about breaking into the D-Force. What's that got to do with breaking out of here than thinking there's some link to the guy behind all this?"

He looks to Anan then. "We want to get people outta here. Is there a way you think we can do it? Send people back home? We can get back - it's everyone else that's the problem."

"Nah, I kinda generally like there bein' worlds around."

He makes a so-so motion with his hand. He hadn't ever been attached to one over the other, so the statement is oddly genuine. They're good to have, nice to visit, no he doesn't want to have no one destroy one for him.

"I might make an exception for some parasite-ridden hellhole but I'd ask ya first." A 'Nuke it from orbit' situation.

"I'm saying that's the question we've gotta be asking," Cassie says. "If whatever we're getting out of infiltrating D-Force doesn't help us with our immediate objective - which, again, is getting the hell out of here - then we need to ask if it's worth the risk. 'Cause that risk is a big one.

"Personally, I think it could work as a distraction. If we could get a line to Mr. Sandman, it might be a decent red herring to shift the attention of whatever's maintaining this giant illusion."

Edited 2021-07-19 23:07 (UTC)

He lets out a breath, shrugging with his hands coming up. "Then try that government area. A few of ours have been saying it's weird over there. Some kind of energy, but I don't know what. Unless you know something about the D-Force we don't."

And that last part he says to Conan.

"You guys have a way back to the train? What's the way back?" Sunset asked, pulling at her bag and grabbing a book, opening it to a blank page. "I assume its not just 'walk there' since that would be an easy out."

"I have memories of the office layouts and the operations," Conan offers. "If any of that would be helpful, I can provide it."

Ask him why he knows any of this, and he'd be a little more evasive.

Another yes, if only slightly. Siebren has been here before, or somewhere like it - enough to recognize a mental disconnect. Enough to know that if he himself cannot answer questions while out of touch with reality, then he should not expect Caleb to do so either.

He floats a chair over and sets it down next to the couch. He settles into it and lays his hand on the couch, close enough for Caleb to touch if he wanted, but far enough to leave him his space if preferred. "Rest," he says simply. "You may tap my hand if you require anything; I will be here."

He is a patient man when the occasion calls for it. He can wait.

[ Eventually she pulls away, trying to wipe away her tears. ]

I'm... I'm sorry I'm such a mess.

Or else, if you don't... I will use the greatest weapon every mother has.

When we get back to the train...

[ Pause for drama. ]

... I will embarrass you in front of everyone! "Everyone! Wook at how much my widdle Inny-winny has growwwwn~!"

Day Five - Home Sweet...Home

She still hadn't understood, entirely, who she was, not really. But the authorities had obliged her. Her face had led a broadcast, entitled "the Machine Menace." That had told her what she needed to know, torn away the last vestiges of the illusions she hadn't wanted to lose. For a while, she'd just gotten to be. To feel normal, to just exist in a community - among flowers whose names she could no longer remember. She'd had a life, calm and productive. She'd had a chance, maybe, at love. All of it was gone now.

And then the mob reminded her of what organic beings usually thought of beings like her.

She'd still been reeling, still putting back together just who Guri was when she'd heard them, just after dark. Gathering, surrounding the entrances to the shop in a semi-circle. Screaming every insult she would have thought of - monster and freak foremost among them. The first rocks came soon after. The molotov cocktails after that.

And the shop, the remains of her life...burned.

Of course, they were hounds to the hunters - driving her out the back and into an ambush by the security forces. Anguished, unprepared, still sorting out who she was - she'd found out in a hurry that bullets did not kill her. Four bullet wounds, none doing more than puncturing the skin. Nor had the batons harmed her. But she'd had to break some bones to escape.

Which the next edition of the news had insisted was the monstrous actions of an unfeeling machine, tearing innocent security forces limb from limb.

And so now she hid, keeping to sidestreets. Seeking refuge, seeking...solitude.

Right now, she didn't want anything to do with people.

Day Six - Aid and the Cafe

The signal hadn't taken her long to decipher. Three seconds to realize it was a code, four more to make comparisons and find the repetitions...teen seconds total, to double check.

But she didn't seek it out. She instead watched it, from the nearest vantage point, an abandoned, leaking apartment. She didn't know...how she felt. More than once in the course of the day she'd just switched her emotions off, shutting down entire segments of her brain and its programming. So much ate at her. So much hurt.

Hurts she'd never felt before.

There were people she knew, in there. But she didn't...want to see them. Or...did, it was hard to say. When the emotions were switched off, it was easier. Then she just told herself she didn't need anyone. Organics, people - they were unreliable. She was not one of them.

And worst of all, she'd fooled herself into thinking she could be, here.

Day Eight - Crumbling

She emerged when the creatures did, because even n her state she couldn't leave people to harm. Whatever she was, she wouldn't be like them and leave them to harm.

The worse it got, the more she reasoned there was something that had to be done about it. And she had only a few skills with which to address the collapse of a reality.

And so she marched, down one of the main boulevards. One arm held a riot shield - the other a baton, both taken from her pursuers. Her hair was singed in places; her clothing torn and the skin underneath punctured, including a bullet hole where her sternum was. Her expression was flat, determined.

At the other end of the street was a D-Force barricade. It wouldn't be there for much longer, she had decided.

"I'm generally non-violent. Pacifist, remember?" Was she teasing him? Maybe. But she was indeed a pacifist most of the time.

The floating gets a hard blink, but he doesn't say anything. Rest... he turns slightly and tries to all asleep. It takes a bit for him to actually do it, but eventually he dozes.

It's only for about an hour, but he jerks awake with a flame suddenly in his hand as he looks around. Where is -

... Right. He extinguishes it and sits up slowly, gathering his knees into his chest.

"... That didn't go as planned."

Sitting up a bit more, Raven makes sure to take a sip of water. Then another, before speaking. "...'m not sure if it's because of us, or because of us and the other stuff going wrong." Taking a bit of a longer drink this time, hands curled around the mug. "Why, you mad?"

[Oh, well, in that case Athena is going to shove her entire head into Della's hand. Yes please. Right there. Good person.]

[It's still not enough context for Wash to make a judgment call, but he probably won't get that from an initial conversation. Might as well play along. He sighs.]

I'm not from here, Della. I'm not a Voidtrecker, either - I came from someplace completely different, I don't know how I got here, and I was dealing with my own bullshit before I woke up here with a completely different life. I wouldn't be surprised if there are other people here in my same situation.

So yeah, I'm betting trap. Odds are people like me are the bait.

Lan Wangji isn't familiar with the demon city but he has heard about it from other passengers. It seems to have left a lasting impression on a lot of them. "It is why we were to practice on the last world. The train knew this was coming."

His voice is low. even if they are both Voidtreckers, the people around them might not be. And so it wouldn't be good to alert them to their presence.

"Can't decide." Demyx said, after a moment. "Either he's running out of juice or he's just given up on this part of the city."

That was his current guess. "Or something like darkness is getting out of control on him and swallowing things up." He added, a nod to his life experience.

Wash knows a thing or two about shit luck. He also knows the importance of being in the right place at the right time.

He's not there when the Voidtrecker-branded-terrorist is deposited smack in the middle of the road. He is there to see someone dragging them out of the street towards an alley.

Which means he's also there to knock that someone out with a blow from behind. Someone's going to wake up with a concussion, and normally Wash would feel bad about attacking a civilian like that, but honestly? He's pretty damn sure he just prevented a murder.

So he takes his jacket off, slings the Voidtrecker over his shoulders in a fireman's carry, and drapes the jacket over the Voidtrecker's head and shoulders, hiding them from view, before he starts on the road back to his apartment. Anyone who inquires gets an excuse - namely that his "friend" isn't dealing with stress well and is super hung over, light-sensitive migraine and everything, and he's just trying to get him someplace to sleep it off.

It works - partially because the city is in chaos, and partially because, as far as anyone else knows, Wash is David from the training center, a good citizen of Diagad, and surely he wouldn't be harboring any known terrorists!

Yeah, none of these people have a clue.

He makes it to his apartment, locks the door behind him, and lays the Voidtrecker down on his couch. The guy doesn't look great, but he's not dead. Small favors.

"So. What happened to you?"

A very hard, heavy whomp could be heard as Demyx did in fact, smash it with his sitar.

No one was going to make out with Tidus today if he could help it!

"Let go!" He said, raising his instrument to whack it again.

"How's it going?" Demyx asked with a friendly smile as he stepped inside, letting him close the door.

No problem.

[ He grasps Della's hand and ducks them down an alley, with a little huff, at the same time with a free hand making a leather coat appear.

He drops it on her at the end of the alley. ]

Wrap that around you and close your eyes, it's an emergency.

The hour feels both far longer and far shorter than it actually is, and Siebren finds himself with a notebook and pen, attempting to put thoughts and information in order (for the second time, frustratingly, as the first notebook he'd used to do this had abruptly disappeared. Everything is transient, it seems).

He startles at the sudden flame but does not move. Hopefully - hopefully - Caleb will come to his senses before things become violent.

He does, and Siebren breathes a sigh of relief as Caleb sits up. He seems to be a bit more cogent, at least. "They rarely do, in my experience. How are you feeling?"

He chuckled lightly at that and turned his attention to Wash.

"Interesting." He stopped tapping his fingers. "You're right."

"Yeah, yeah, okay!" Demyx said easily enough and took off to her side.

He could get out of there, but in his present state it was more dangerous than it was worth when he could still run.

Demyx tore away, running to Sunset Shimmer's side.

"Dennis!"

Yo, is that Dennis boy?! That's a face Tidus can be happy to see, but with that monster still around, he knows this isn't the time for chit-chat, though he wants to ask if he's alright. But Dennis speaks first, and the monster is rising - and that's something that needs to be dealt with, before it deals with them.

"Glad to see you didn't become that thing's snack!" He brings out his blade, the sword materialising with a gold colouring into his hand. The monster's already running towards them, and Tidus - with the direction, "Stay back!" - runs in to meet with it, blade at the ready. When they get close, it jumps over him, and Tidus reacts with a spin, his blade coming to meet with claws. But it has more, recovers in a way to push Tidus back to avoid the swings that are attempting to break Tidus's guard.

He could probably find an opening soon - but if Dennis wants to do more than stand, and try to distract the creature in this instance, we don't want to take away Dennis's chance.

You have every right to be a mess.

[ He gives her a friendly, light punch on the shoulder. ]

You didn't get up to anything too crazy in your fake life, did you?

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So Familiar a Gleam: Ongoing

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Guri | Voidtrecker | Purple (CW: It gets rough. Think how people reacted in 'Frankenstein')

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