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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"But... you're not. I've only ever gotten to eat out with one friend before and it was wonderful! I bet the food will taste extra yummy with you too! And why wouldn't I be willing to pay for that?"

Oh. Well. That was different. He relented almost immediately, his expression softening slightly.

"Okay, but---let me take care of the tip, okay?"

"Sure!" she agreed happily. She hopped back on her bike. "Get on! I'll get us there super fast!"

So, this was how he was going to die. On the back of a pink sparkly bicycle. There were worse ways to go, Link supposed. At least this way would amuse Shadow.

"Okay, sounds good!" If he didn't die, he was never going to hear the end of this. Link climbed on, sealing his fate.

She grinned back at him brightly. "Hold on tight, okay?"

Yes, he was doomed to more teasing from Shadow at home. And possibly an irate Malon if she caught wind of this.

Still, Link did as he was told, awkwardly, praying that the gods would be merciful and take him out before anyone caught sight of them.

She started pedaling again, though this time not as insanely. She might have completely have forgotten about her job. Because FAERIE! She pulled up pretty soon outside a Japanese style restaurant. She hopped off so she could chain up her bike once he got off too.

Grateful he had survived, and that no one had noticed him, Link stepped off onto the ground with some relief.

"I don't think I've ever eaten here."

"I work here on weekends. The couple who run it are super nice!" She locked up her bike and led in, lifting the hanging slightly. "Okami-san, Taisho, I've brought a friend to sample your wonderful food!"

An older woman smiled warmly at them. "Do come in then, take table four, dear. Taisho will make you both something special!" The restaurant wasn't quite open yet. But the woman seemed quite pleased to see them.

The man behind the sushi counter's head snapped up when they walked in and he glared at them. Well, at Link.

Kyoko led him to a table near the middle of the restaurant and sat down. "I'm so happy right now!" she told him, all but bouncing. "I always wanted to know what it was like to have friends that I could do stuff with after school!"

Link gave the grumpy looking fellow a small, scrunchy, finger-wave and sheepish smile.

Any doubts he'd had about coming though, were dispelled the moment she spoke. Having a twin meant that Link had always had a friend. Or at least, that he was never lonely.

He smiled back at her. "I'm usually up for hanging out with friends. You can always hang out with me and Shadow."

"I... kind of owe him an apology too, so sure!" Oh, wait. "Wait, of he is your twin, is he a Faerie too?!" she asked, bouncing.

“I don’t think anyone has ever called Shadow Fairy Boy. He’s got some pretty cool powers and talents, though.”

Link grinned. “You should see him act. He’s great!”

He paused. “Apologize for what? It’s hard to upset him.”

"I may have broken down a little," she admitted, sheepishly. "And lied to him. He is probably going to yell at me, but that's okay. I kinda deserve it."

"If you were lying, he probably knew it. Shadow is uncanny about being able to read people. I wouldn't worry about him yelling at you."

Link gestured to himself. "I can't lie. I'm terrible at it, so, I don't even try."

"It's okay if he yells at me," she said quietly. "I deserve it. And it has been ages since anyone's yelled at her."

She didn't know why, maybe it was her stubborn streak, but it was always easier to bounce back from a failure when someone ripped into her for it. She... had long since decided not to think too much about what that might mean.

"Uhhh....did you say something mean to him or something?"

"I couldn't even remember Mr. Tsuruga telling me that I should always deny things, but I was doing it anyway. I just kept lying and lying. I'm an actress, if I am going to lie, I should at least be able to do it well! But clearly I failed!" So she should be yelled at. Because that was how Kyoko's warped brain worked.

Mr. Tsuruga would have yelled at her, she was sure. Well, if Shadow wouldn't yell at her, she did have the dolls, she could always scold herself. That helped, sometimes."

"That's....what? No, acting is pretending, not lying, they're not the same thing...."

Link was utterly befuddled.

"But a good actor should be able to use acting to sell a lie," she pointed out.

"That sounds more like a criminal skill, than an acting one."

That was probably how Shadow got that alcohol, come to think of it. Maybe she had something there.....

"Well, you have to do things like that, otherwise people know your weaknesses." that was what Mr. Tsuruga said, after all.

"But, everyone has weaknesses."

"Well yeah, but you don't want people poking at those weaknesses...." she pointed out.

"Why would they do that? People aren't all bad. Most people are really good."

Have her just staring at him for a moment. Then her face softened and something like envy appeared there. Accompanied by sparkles.

Because of course. He was a Faerie. And Faeries were good and kind and wonderful, of course he'd have no concept of evil and hatred and scum like Shotaro.

"I wish I were a Faerie," she said dreamily, forgetting, as usual, that no one else could follow the weird inner roadmap of her thoughts.

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