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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Is it a time for a phone call? Because Jon's definitely getting a phone call.

"Hey babe." Thank the stars for noise reduction. In the meantime, at least, she sounds like she's just relaxing somewhere at home. "Where are you? Can you pick something up for me on your way back?"

She hadn't put a tracker on his person since she hadn't wanted to risk giving herself away, and she's also banking on the fact that he's never once let a phone call of hers unanswered. Great husband, shitty wife. What a pair they make.

Trying to take a phone call from his wife while also avoiding being beaten by three men is an exceptionally interesting task as Jon answers the phone while also sending someone backwards with a punch.

While he can keep his voice fairly even, she might hear grunts as he works to keep the men off him. "Hey, love. I'm just leaving work." Which will give her a location, really, because she knows what building he works in and he's barely outside the doors when all of this happened on him. He'd argue that she's not a shitty wife, if pressed too. The fact that she hadn't put a tracker on him, even for the reasons she's claiming, say she's not.

"What did you need picked up?" A punch sends him back a few steps and there's the softest sound from him at the impact, trying not to let on through the phone he's gotten into some trouble. Because she's just a house wife, she doesn't know what he gets up to, so he doesn't want to worry her now. Especially since this isn't even in regards to what he was doing under the table.

So much for just stalking the husband home. There's not only the risk of her cover being blown by him now, there's also the risk of her cover being blown in general. Plus, association with a suspected Voidtrecker? The D-Force will probably be on their heels in an instant.

Which means Jon doesn't really have a lot of time. Especially when he's very clearly in the thick of a fight.

"We're out of cat food." There's a pet shop just down the corner; if he can head there, it'll be easier for her to intercept him. "There was a hole in the one can we had left and it's gone bad. Can you please get some for Neufie?"

It would have been far easier if people had left him alone at least until he got home and could just hide away out of sight in their house. Because if they’re out of sight, maybe no one will bother him. Not that he knows what to do about his job now - if he’ll even have a job. because if people will assault him right on the street, he can’t see his employers keeping a problem employee on the books.

He’s hoping this is just some kind of misunderstanding though, that an easy explanation will find it’s way to him. An easy solution. Because while he can say he’s a lot of things, until the voidtracker weirdness came up in whispers he can’t remember ever hearing about them before. He couldn’t voluntarily claim to be one, because to his knowledge he wasn’t one.

“Yeah, I can head there and pick some up.” He doesn’t say out loud where he’s headed, hoping to knock these guys out so he can shake them. Two of them get knocked out at least, leaving him two more to take care of. “I’ll make sure to get some treats too, to make up for it.“

She turns sharply around a corner and dives into the thick of the district's streets, hoping that she's just fast enough not to get pulled over or worse, chased. "Can you hurry, please? I really need you home asap."

Because she's nearing the pet shop corner and he has to be there, or there's going to be trouble for both of them.

And he might even think for a moment that she's among the D-Force or someone out to get him, because her hover-motorcycle comes to a screeching halt next to him when she finally arrives, barely missing him that it's almost like she'd tried to run him over. Her helmet's face plate retracts to reveal her familiar features, and her voice thick with urgency as she greets, "Hey babe. Get on."

There's a grunt from him as he's pushed back a couple steps and the phone muffles a little while she waits for an answer as he makes sure to knock the two remaining guys out. "Hurrying, love." Because really, he doesn't want to stick around and have anyone see what he's done if he can help it either. Which means that he books it over to the pet store quick as he can.

The way the hover-motorcycle comes to a stop next to him does still his heart for a moment, his hand fisted and raised in a defensive position until the face plate retracts. It takes him a second to switch gears that this is his wife, not someone coming to take him in or try to beat him anymore than he's gotten. Not that he questions her either, shifting to get on behind her easily and quickly.

His hands settle around her waist, though can he help if one strays a little to feel her suit? Because he's never seen her in anything like this before, and even in the thick of danger he can't help realize and appreciate how she looks it in. "Any idea what in the name of the gods is going on? I came out of work and was attacked... And also where did you get all of this?" The question, even with her getting them moving is easily heard because his chin rests on her shoulder as she drives them wherever she feels is safest.

What in the name of the gods? What gods? It shouldn't be what Jane's mind fixates on, yet she mulls it over in her head briefly before concentrating at the task at hand.

"Don't fall off," is all she tells him before the face plate slides back into place — obscuring her features enough, she hopes, not to get identified from the surveillance footages. Without further delay she gets them moving, weaving through the streets in an attempt to lose anyone trying to follow. Her ride is fast, the engines smooth, which will be among the many things she'll have to explain to him soon enough.

Just when she thinks they're in the clear, a hover-motorcycle comes up behind them. There's muffled cursing from beneath her helmet before she reaches for a compartment and pulls out a gun, handing it over her shoulder to Jon. Powers are good, but long-range weapons are better for chases.

Then she returns to gripping the vehicle with both hands, flooring it. Outrunning the enemy is even better, and she'll take them through a roundabout path before slipping into a tunnel that leads into a secret garage in their apartment complex.

When did that start slipping? He's not even focused on what's coming out of his mouth as they get away from the people trying to catch him. There's not even an answer to her telling him to not fall off, just a tightening of his arm around her waist to answer that comment. Because in some ways they don't need words to communicate what they mean or are saying. Though his brow does go up when she gets a gun from a side compartment of the motorcycle they're on.

Not that he questions it at all as he takes it and shifts on the seat so he has a clear shot. He doesn't aim to kill either, but to take the hover-motorcycle out. Even on the back, turned awkwardly, he's a good shot and it only takes a couple of shots to get their follower off their tail, spinning into a building behind them. It clears the area behind them, getting people off their tail before they're left with an easy get-out.

Once they're parked he'll slip off the bike easily. Once she's off it, he'll catch her arm and spin her to settle her against the wall. The pin isn't too rough or hard, but his eyes have questions because where did she get this or the bike and the gun. How did she know to come get him. "Thank you for coming to get me, but where did you get all of this?" Bcause that's the first question in a lot of questions he has.

It very belatedly occurs to her — and only once he pins her to the wall — that this might be the beginning of the end of their marriage. Why would a nice, sweet guy like him want to stick around someone who's lied to him from the moment they'd met? It's not the possible loss of their partnership that strikes her, though, but the very real pang of attachment she suddenly feels. Which is bad for business.

"I'm not a Voidtrecker," is the first thing she says. Because she isn't. She knows she isn't. Although isn't she, really, when she's been having flashes and headaches as well? "But I... have a part-time job?" It's almost sheepish, the way she says it. Not that anything's timid and shy about her now, her outfit least of all.

"You were on the news," she adds after a moment. It's important, and whatever happens to their relationship tonight, he at least has to know that. "You better lie low for a few days, or the D-Force might take you in."

He can’t say that he’s really happy to find out she’s been keeping some secrets from him. Secrets that lead her to have a hover-motorcycle and a gun and armor. Even if she looks incredibly good in that armor. “I never thought you were a voidtracker.” Because that much he wants clear. “I’m not either, at least I have no knowledge of being one.” It’s honest at least. If he is one, he has no active knowledge of it, no active movement with it.

But he’s been having dreams, flashes, though a couple of them have Jane in them. So he has pushed them aside as weird dreams from the stress of everyone being on edge. Not that it could actually mean anything. His brow arches at her though. “What is your part-time job, Janey?” His nickname for her past the normal shortening of her name. A sign at least that nothing’s broken. Even if he’s curious, confused and not happy she’s keeping secrets.

“I don’t understand why I’m on the news. I haven’t done anything.” His brow creases as he tries to take that in. How cool that have happened. “Are you… going today low with me?”

She gives him a wry grin. "We'll probably need some brandy to go with that. Come on, I just opened a bottle." While she's relieved that he's still calling her by his nickname for her, she can also sense his unhappiness from finding out she's been keeping secrets from him.

Huh. They've been married for a while now, that's true, but she's not sure she'd ever been this attuned to his feelings? It's almost... weird. Like flashes of things and colors in the sky weird.

"Who have you been talking to? Traded with shady types lately?" She realizes a second too late that she's given away the other secret she's been keeping from him — that she knows what his part-time job is.

“I have a feeling we’ll both need it.” He’s slow to move though, staying close to her and keeping her pinned a little longer than necessary. But we’ll, they are married and it’s naturally for him to want her pressed close. Fingers brush along her cheek as he takes her in, though they trail down to the collar of her suit.

Catching a bit of it, he’ll use it to pull her with him when he steps away from the wall. Keeping her close even though she’s not pinned anymore. He’s not happy, but he doesn’t want to lose what they have. He hopes that nothing can’t be worked through.

Though his brow arches higher at her comment. It’d too pointed to be an accident in all this. “How long have you known?”

She purses her lips together before she answers him, though she doesn't fight being kept close. "Since we met," she eventually says, slowly, reluctantly. It's probably a good hint of the kind of life she secretly leads, because not everyone just casually rubs elbows with those in his line of work. Unless you run with the same crowd.

Neufie bounds over to her the moment they come inside their apartment, and she tucks the furball under her arm as they make a beeline for the kitchen. The bottle of brandy is still there on the counter, but it's less than half-full already. Unfortunately, she hadn't been lying about just having opened it; she's hidden her being alcoholic quite well from him too.

She doesn't even reach for a glass, just picking up the bottle with her free hand and taking a drink of it before holding it out to him.

It's actually a shock that she's known this entire time, when he thought he was being so careful when he not only didn't have to be but had clearly missed the biggest piece of news right under his nose. That she'd been leading some kind of secret life too, once that brushed his because how else would she know about that little bit. "Why didn't you say anything?"

He's a little slower to follow her as he gets out of his shock. There's also a little surprise that the bottle is less than half-full, but he's not going to say anything about that. He's not sure if she's having dreams like he is, and if she is well can he blame her for drinking more than some would say is good? Not really. He's been throwing himself into work some because of them because it gives him a focus.

Taking the bottle, he takes a long drink of it. He doesn't hand it back though, instead catching her hand and pulling her over to the couch. He doesn't leave a lot of space between them either because he wants her in his lap. Their family piled together since Neufie is still in her arm. "Is that why you married me?" His gray eyes turn up to her and there's a hint of please tell him it's not why you married him, Jane. He wants her to have married him for him. Not because of what she knew about him.

The truth never makes it to Jane's lips, not even to her eyes.

"No," she lies, quickly, convincingly. Though is it a lie still, when a part of her means it? Now more than ever before? And if she's lying, why is she able to look him in the eyes as she admits that?

She's only lying to herself, she supposes.

She sets Neufie down on the couch and the cat is all too happy to snuggle into Jon's side instead of hers. She'd have huffed and called the furball a traitor for that, if their conversation wasn't very serious. But it is, so she doesn't jest about it. She lifts a hand to cup the side of his face, thumb brushing along his cheek gently. "I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you. But I did."

It is convincingly, or maybe he just wants to believe it all too strongly. Because he doesn't question her answer nor does he look for any way that it's not the truth.

He wants that to be the truth.

Fingers dip to tease along Neufie's fur and just the cat snuggling into his side has him smile softly for how cute their girl is. Their girl. Their family. She wasn't supposed to fall in love with him, he hears that part but the last bit is what means the most to him.

Turning his head into her hand, he places a kiss to her palm as gray eyes watch her closely. "But you did." Yet she still held this back from him too and he can't wonder why she didn't tell him. Why she continued to keep this a secret from him. "Knowing what I did, why didn't you tell me? Eventually, I mean? You can't have thought it'd change my mind or my heart?"

Because it would only potentially bind them closer in the fact that they did work potentially together.

"You say that like we've already been married long." Come to think of it, she can't seem to recall when exactly they'd gotten married. Why does it now feel so much more recent than she'd initially thought? That would explain their lack of children, at least. Still, it doesn't quite sit right with her. Not today.

Then she shakes her head, as though that would be enough to deal with her unease. "I didn't want to put you in danger." His safety had been what sent her running out today, risking her exposure. She could've just left him to handle himself, but she didn't. "And should the D-Force come knocking, you won't get in trouble because of me."

She hesitates for a moment, before she adds, in the spirit of honesty, "They call me Sparky."

"We've been married long enough." She isn't the only one. Part of him feels odd that they haven't tried to try for children yet, that they've been married for long enough that the try and the conversation should have come up. And yet part of his head whispers that they've only been married days maybe? A week maybe?

Fingers raise to tease her cheek down to her throat. "I'm not sure if you know this, but I'm good with handling myself. And I could have known to look after you better." Because it also means she'd been in danger, if she was hiding him from danger. "I don't want anything happening to you, Jane. Not because of me, and not because I don't know what's going on so I can't keep you safe from it."

Eyes dart down to her fingers as he smiles a little at that. "Sparky. Really? That's almost cute." Dipping, he kisses along her shoulder lightly.

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So Familiar a Gleam: Ongoing

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