Event - Lullaby

[apocalypsehowmods]

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Lullaby

➥ For You Never Shut Your Eye

(cw: supernaturally-induced sleep/fatigue, supernaturally-induced sleep disorders/somniloquy, needles/injections)

The line between waking and sleep is beginning to blur. People will find themselves sleeping far too much, but it never feels like enough. The music is growing more prevalent and persistent throughout town. The effect is still weaker within the building, but as October wears on, more and more people are affected and ADI staff are more intent than ever to find the source and also figure out how to block the effects. Characters will find themselves conscripted (between Halloween Party preparations) into assisting with building or testing anti-music and sleep devices along or with helping to try to track down the source of the music.

For those helping to build and test devices, there is an R&D lab in the basement levels of ADI that will be available. Devices native staff have been able to devise include:

• Headphones that play different frequencies to try to cancel out the sound of the singing.
  
• An armband that periodically stabs a small needle into the arm with a small dosage of adrenaline.
  
• Headbands set to a constant low vibration.

The efficacy of all of these devices is… questionable, but perhaps others may have their own expertise to lend to the efforts, attempting something on a broader scale than just personal protection devices.

For those helping to track the source of the music, finding it seems to be impossible, but there is a definite pattern that characters will note as the days pass. The epicenters of the music are moving, migrating out of the graveyards and converging on ADI Headquarters. As this goes on, the building will become less and less of a safe haven, the music penetrating its walls and affecting the staff there more heavily. You might find yourself having to help a neighbor who's fallen asleep while working. Or you might not even be able to fully tell they've fallen asleep as they sleepwalk and talk almost like they're actually still conscious. Even those who have never been prone to sleepwalking and talking may find themselves affected and… far more open with what they say when in the unguarded state of semi-unconsciousness.

➥ Till the Sun Is In the Sky

(cw: supernaturally-induced sleep/fatigue, thanatophobia, character death, death by poisoning, blood, choking, emetophobia, death by crushing)

By the 25th, some people may find waking up to be a challenge in and of itself. But they do manage to wake up. Seemingly. Perhaps the day is much like any other, heading to ADI or out around the city, grabbing coffee and- something is wrong. Something is very wrong. That cup of coffee you just drank had tasted a little different than usual. A touch of almond to it? It hits you that your throat is burning, bile and blood rising up and choking you as you hack and gasp and vomit. Your legs grow weak, you're losing control of everything, falling, dying.

And then you wake up.

Just a nightmare. Just a bizarre and horrible nightmare. You head out and… is this home? You're home! Or maybe… wait, this doesn't seem right. Have you gone somewhere else? Some things might be familiar, memories intertwined and mixing with fantastical elements, some your own, some not. You notice people you recognize, ones who might be as confused as you are. This isn't where they should be and they remember dying, too. Or seeing you die or someone else. It doesn't make sense, but somehow, they remember they had a dream they shared last night. And then something falls from above and nearly crushes you or your partner. Or maybe it does crush them, and you're suddenly looking at a dead body as the world and this nightmare that feels so very real becomes more and more hostile. Maybe something falls on you.

And then you 'wake up.'

➥ When the Blazing Sun Is Gone

(cw: supernaturally-induced sleep/fatigue, thanatophobia, character death, body horror, detailed description of painful physical transformation, description of the loss and regrowth of teeth, violence, mental status alterations, temporary power-loss, spiders)

Even with people dropping left and right thanks to the odd sleep effect taking hold, ADI staff are hellbent that their Halloween party will not be completely ruined. And on the 28th (a little before the actual holiday), everyone wakes up. Or… seems to. For those trapped in dreams, it will seem very much that they've woken up, the music has stopped, and they can actually carry on. For a few days, it even seems like things are normal. The party on the 31st is a blow-out bash. The entire first floor of ADI HQ has been transformed with decorations. The canteen is serving festive food and has set up a dance floor with holiday-appropriate music playing. Some of the offices feature additional activities, including party games like bobbing for apples in a trough that's been brought in, a guess this gross food booth, and more general party games. For a quieter time, there are also areas set up with board games and card games to play. And for some extra fun spooks a mini-haunted maze has been set up with faux spiders and webs, along with other goofy-looking monster creatures.

It's around 9 PM when the music and lights suddenly cut out. There's nothing for several seconds. Then, a voice begins to sing, filling the halls of ADI. It's a young girl's voice.

"Bye-bye, bye-bye,
Quickly you will die,
On the morning will be frost,
And you’ll go to the graveyard, the graveyard.

Grandfather will come there, too,
And he will bring the coffin.
Grandmother will come along,
Her tears, they will not soften.
Mama sings the prayer song, then,
And falls down on her knees.
Daddy takes you to the grave,
No one can hear his pleas.

Bye-bye, bye-bye,
Quickly you will die,
On the morning will be frost,
And you’ll go to the graveyard, the graveyard.

As the last notes of the song fade away, all hell breaks loose. Those who had been wearing particular sorts of costumes, ones that are more monstrous in nature, may find themselves transforming, growing, twisting, shifting. It's not a clean change, but a violent, agonizing one that cracks bones, tears and reshapes muscles and tendons, pushes out teeth to make room for new ones. Those transformed will find themselves compelled to chase, to hunt, to kill anyone they can get their claws, teeth, or other appendages on.

For those who stay themselves, it's not just their transformed friends who pose a danger, but the decorations they've set up, as well. Those fake giant spiders and webs? They're no longer fake. Neither are any of the other demonic little creatures. The goal of everything in ADI and even outside for those who manage to make it out the doors, is to remind you how very, very mortal you are. Those typically possessed of fantastic abilities will find that they have been sapped away. There's no calling on magic or innate abilities. You are mortal and you are going to die like everything mortal does.

In the chaos, characters will catch glimpses of a young girl flitting amongst the chaos, seeming unperturbed by it all. Trying to catch up to her or speak to her is fruitless, but she's there, and she's humming that song from before.

➥ When He Nothing Shines Upon

(cw: supernaturally-induced fatigue/malaise, thanatophobia)

Those who are killed at the party will find themselves waking up wherever they actually fell asleep a few hours or even days ago. If your character was one of the lucky few who somehow managed to escape the effect, you'll notice people waking up all over ADI HQ and elsewhere. There are no signs of damage on the bodies, but those who died in the dreams will find themselves feeling incredibly weak and generally ill for several hours to several days after the experience.

The music has actually stopped, and this time, it would seem you've actually woken up. Depending on how long you were passed out for, that may be a more unpleasant experience for some than others. There's a message posted from a random ADI employee's phone a few days later to the network:

Mr. S was right. This was fun! I'll have to come back next year to play with you. - Ava, the Lullaby Girl

P.S. Sorry for stealing your phone, horsegirl67. But I wanted to say, hi. C:

Unfortunately, there are no further messages and attempts to respond to the message will receive no reply for now.

But... fortunately…? All of the Halloween preparations are still up, and there's a festive party to attend if anyone actually feels keen on trying it in real life. Pam Ruan, the main organizer is bloody-minded about it now and will have her God damn Halloween party, but those who work themselves up to attend out of festive spirit or morbid curiosity will find it a distinctly muted affair that breaks early in the evening.

Happy Halloween, Gloucester!

➥ Mod Notes

• GENERAL - Players are welcome to play NPCs for themselves when they are needed in a thread. If you need more information on general behavior for these types of NPCs, please feel free to ask! In general, the information provided in the prompt should be sufficient and you're welcome to make up any details beyond that for your specific scene. The Lullaby Girl (Ava) can be seen throughout character dreams, but they will not be able to interact with her during this event. They will either wake up or simply find that the physics of the dream are warped and she cannot be reached or there's a sheet of glass between her and the character or whatnot.
  
  
• FOR YOU NEVER SHUT YOUR EYE (15-24 October) - Characters are welcome to develop their own devices for attempting to stop the music. Characters will have modern day technology available to them along with a few slightly more advanced electronics and tools. Please do not go too out there. This isn't Tony Stark's array of tools and the like. But characters can create additional devices to test within reason. Some of them may be more or less effective, but with how sporadic the effect is, it might be difficult to tell what's actually working or not. There can also be negative side-effects from devices, if you'd like to play those out. Characters with the appropriate magical charge may also attempt to supernaturally block the music, but this will not be condoned or facilitated by ADI. Characters searching for the source of the music will not be able to find it, just discover that it is moving. For characters who are sleep-talking, they may find themselves unusually honest. They may or may not recall conversations with other characters and all that they told them.
  
  
• TILL THE SUN IS IN THE SKY (25-27 October) - Characters will experience repeated nightmares of dying in a shared dreamscape. They will remember every time that they die in the dreams. Feel free to get as creative and gruesome with this as you would like. These are dreams and fantastical situations that might not actually happen (e.g., a robot showing up and shooting a laser through your character) may occur. Players are welcome to introduce elements of their memories into the nightmares and mix those memories around between characters who might wind up in a dream together. Please ensure all top-levels are appropriately tagged for any and all content warnings. Add content warnings as you go along, if needed. Dying in the dreams will trigger the sense of waking up. This can be a fake wake-up or characters might actually wake for a short while and find others passed out around them.
  
  
• WHEN THE BLAZING SUN IS GONE (28-31 October) - Again, this will be a shared dreamscape where characters will be under the illusion (at first) that all has returned to normal. For those who investigate, everything seems to be real, nothing too off, excepting the night of the Halloween party. Once the Lullaby Girl finishes her song, characters who are dressed in costumes that depict animals or other monstrous creatures may find themselves transformed into their costumes. Transformed characters may gain powers for the duration of this prompt/event related to their monstrous forms without mod approval. Go wild, kill your friends and neighbors, and generally trash everything around you. The decorations that come to life will be attempting to murder all characters, transformed or not. If characters escape into the city, they will find all of the festive decorations out there have come to life and want to kill them, as well. Death is unavoidable for this particular prompt, but it can be something swift and painless or something drawn out and horrible at player discretion. It is the only way to actually wake a character fully. Players also have the option of keeping their characters awake. They will not experience the shared dreamscape and will just be stuck with a lot of unconscious people around them for the duration of this portion of the event.
  
  
• WHEN HE NOTHING SHINES UPON (31 October) - Ava, the Lullaby Girl, cannot be contacted or immediately located, but she will be available in future plots for interactions with characters. There is no immediate information regarding who Mr. S. is. Players may have the general sleep/death malaise last for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of three days. Regular medications for the flu can ameliorate some of the symptoms, but they will ultimately clear up on their own. Characters may wake up in whatever state players would like. Feel free to play out the effects of them having been slumped in a corridor for three days without food or water. It's going to be a bad time all around. Those who attend the real Halloween party will be thanked profusely by Pam and showered with candy. At least they'll get a few HR brownie points?

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Comments

[inutilis]

[ well!! seeing how the time for snacks and tea is concluding, Abel will similarly drain his mug before rising to his feet and collecting the various dishware on the table for washing-- hers included, along with the sammy plate, ]

Not being a picky eater is something of a life skill, they say~! I know there are those who will regale you with endless lecture about how having a refined palate is more sophisticated, but in my mind, being able to enjoy a meal regardless what's on the menu is a much better asset. Wouldn't you agree, Officer Sister?

[ cheerily and without letting her think twice about it, he's going to start heading with these for the sink and start washing up!! since the cafeteria is so quiet and empty, it really won't be hard to converse without raising one's voice much even if she were to stay seated...!! no need to move if she's enjoying the calming affects of Chamomile Sleepytime, ]

[the_archivist]

If I avoid sleep, my brain likes to dump everything on me at once. It has more to deal with in a shorter space of time, I suppose.

[Like a punishment for trying to avoid the horror for an extended period of time.]

Ah, no. No I'm- I'm fine. It was unpleasant of course, but I'm unharmed.

[He's come out of it much better than he should have.]

[the_archivist]

Yes, it would be an unfortunately good time if anyone wanted to attack this place.

[He needs to read up on that really, see if there are records of attacks.]

Maybe you need a second one a bit offset. Or perhaps the alarm is too regular?

[thatsreallygreat]

"I don't know," he admits. "I think we found something that might help... but I don't know. I sent it home with my sister and told her what to do with it. I hope it does something."

Caduceus looks pensive for a moment and he wonders if the residuum will be what they need in the end. It certainly did something. And, at this point, he thinks he'd be willing to try anything that might even give them more time.

"We've been trying to hold it back for a long time. And, if what I gave Calliope doesn't work, I don't know how much longer we can keep it at bay."

[bloodalwaystells]

"They're..." he trails off, trying to get his bearings, because he's not sure. The lights are dangerous, though, he knows that much: if there's marksmen behind those kriegs, then he and Emily are easy targets in the light.

He keeps moving, too, not letting himself stop because if he stops, he'll panic. He's already panicking a little, and if he freezes they're both dead.

The might be dead already, but he's not going to think about that. Just keep moving, one foot in front of the other.

"If they come, I'll fight," he says quietly, roughly. "I don't..." His voice still catches, but he keeps going. It feels important to say- never mind that he's exhausted and bleeding. "I'll protect you."

[septieme]

[wow, making himself useful cleaning up...! Wonder if that's why he still hasn't been fired from the canteen staff yet? 🤔]

I don't know many picky eaters myself personally, but I do concur. There's just absolutely nothing wrong with having preferences, some food you can simply eat every day for the rest of your life, you know what I mean?

[2iq FATTYDINGDONGs,

that is, don't think she didn't notice how he ended up taking her dishes too, hmm... Is he really just being a good employee, or is there more to it?

...

She'll not fight it, this time. There wasn't much dishes, just a couple mugs and plates, and besides, she IS undeniably tired. So... how about just let a comfortable silence settle, instead? They don't ALWAYS have to be trading idiotic banter at all times in each other's presence, right?]

[inutilis]

[ Abel may very well have been chivvied to dish duty after he was found partaking of more food than he was helping to prepare or serve, that may be a thing that's happened,

...either way, he is cheerily whistling as he works back here, which means that the endless prattling has, at least momentarily... slowed to a stop.

surely this is just a man being carried away with a familiar task, mm? you know, getting in the dish grove. nothing calculated about it, haha. definitely isn't letting her soak in the quiet peacefulness of the moment and let Sleepiness take hold so that she will be better prepared for the looming threat of

BEDTIME... ]

[aelwyn_aberration]

Sure, sure.

[And sure enough, she mostly spends that half an hour getting dressed and pouring herself a drink, waiting for him to knock on the door.]

[abrightboy]

“A murderer,” Martin scoffs. “You make it sound so sordid; I’ve barely killed anybody here,” he asserts. “Well, except the coffee girl. Pretty little thing, but Malcolm wasn’t interested in her, anyway. Oh, and the street musician. What did you say his name was, Malcolm?”

Malcolm wraps his arms tighter around himself, stares at the sidewalk.

“Jeff,” he says numbly.

“Jeff, that’s right. He had some fight in him, for a scrawny little mess.”

[abrightboy]

The coffee hits him, this mental Martin - may even hurt him - but it doesn’t stop him. If anything, it just makes him angry. The knife comes out from under his jacket and he grabs her with the other hand, by the throat, tightly. Too tightly for screaming, not that that would save her.

cw violence wooo

[ployboy]

It's not the first time he's blinded by the explosion of that good ol' Drake temper. It's not the last. It's the convergence of two worlds, the two major factors that create his being: grief and anger. It's the hours upon hours of bleeding and training and life and death hinging on nothing less than perfection.

It's Tim putting his weight behind the swing of his fist to Martin's head- his mouth, specifically, because he wants those teeth broken and he wants the man to choke on his own tongue.

And Tim's good at it, y'know, at getting what he wants.

(The pinch of metal against his ribs reminds him-- gun. He has a gun. But that would be easy.)

[abrightboy]

Martin does spit blood, then he grins.

“Good,” he says approvingly. “Maybe you’ll loan some of that spirit to my son,” he suggests, drawing the knife from his waistband.

His son is rocking back and forth. “Stop stop stop stop…” he mutters under his breath.

Martin reaches for any purchase he can find on Tim. His collar, his hair, his throat. Whatever he can grab.

[ployboy]

Shut up, shut up, shut up! One of those barks might have even been given voice but Tim figures (vague ideas floating here and there and getting drowned by the road in his ears) he's too gone to put energy into words. He doesn't know where he went wrong, but his knuckles hurt with a distracting sting and the next thing he knows is the burn of his hair getting pulled.

It's why he gave up on the domino mask and put on the cowl, because the hair--

what the everloving hell is Malcolm--

Tim winces. He's remembers he's hit his head. Fuck. But he's taken down worse than this man. He lets himself get pulled in, risk be damned he can handle it and he sweeps the man's legs with a kick. If he's going down, then Tim gets his elbow on Martin's fucking neck.

[cacophonish]

It always looks so quick and easy in the movies. Effortless. What's the saying? Like a knife through butter.

His abdomen isn't as yielding as butter. The blade sinks in, bringing a pain that's so acute and surreal, but his body, weak and scrawny as it might be, tries to reject it. The token, instinctive resistance only makes him more aware of every fucking inch of steel that pushes its way into his guts.

The knife twists, and Jeff cries out, just as a woman's walking past. He watches her go, watches her throw a look over her shoulder at him. He could swear their eyes lock, just for a moment, and there's something like pity on her face, but she doesn't stop, just keeps walking, like everybody else.

He's going to die, right here, like this. Just another piece of trash on the sidewalk. Jeff closes his eyes (he can feel tears burning in them), swallowing thickly, trying to drown out the pain, the fear, and the sound of Martin's voice. He can't give up, he can't. He can do something...

Jeff starts to hum. Tries to hum, anyway, even if it makes him all too aware of the knife in his gut. It isn't a spell (yet), it's just... another reflex. Instinct, of a Gifted sort. He thinks of his mother (strength, warmth, comfort) and he hums her favorite song, trying to find focus in it.

Because if he can find focus, then maybe he can fucking set this asshole on fire.

[sorser]

With magic, would be the easy quip in return, but Stephen has learned to blunt his tongue when necessary. Now feels very necessary, the weight of the situation no more dire than what he’s faced before, yet the sight of Barnes’ rifle imbues a dash of cold reality to their unwitting dream.

Rattling noises echo from down the hall. Around the corner, skeletal figures lurch out and into sight — three literal skeletons, party decorations now come to life, their jaws chattering and bones rattling as they suddenly rush towards Winter and Stephen.

Just wonderful.

“Think we have company!”

[sorser]

Interesting that in a dream that makes utterly no sense, the question the man asks revolves around his sorcerer’s attire. Stephen refrains from rolling his eyes, but his tone reflects the sentiment.

“This is my work uniform.”

A flicker—his outfit changes from a doctor’s scrubs and back to his sorcerer’s regalia—but then it’s gone.

“So you live where, exactly? New York, or…?”

Wherever else they’re seeing.

[bossyboiler]

Kate should have tried to run away sooner. She should have turned away from them both when she had realized who Martin was. She should have done a lot of things.

Her scream gets caught in her throat and doesn't escape her mouth. She is not going down without a fight. Martin pulls her backwards and she uses that momentum to throw her elbow back to try and hit him. For good measure, she throws her head backwards too in an attempt to hit his face with the back of her head. Kate even tries to stomp on his foot. All of it is going to prove futile, however.

[sorser]

[Wait… what.

Stephen very nearly squints up at the man, whose face is uncannily similar to a certain Asgardian he knows in passing — but confusion is swept aside just as quickly, a wave of his hand dismissing it away, like an annoying gnat of a thought.]

Do you? Then I’m going to chalk it up to multiversal nonsense and move on, except this is going to take a minute to get over.

[It’s at this moment that Stephen seems to realize that in his other hand, he’s holding a headset that still has echoes of screeching frequencies heard blasting through its speakers.]

Was this [jostling the stupid thing] your doing?

[septieme]

[Stray dog...

And over at the table, Ciel is just resting her eyes. Yep! Keeping them close to... Conserve energy, it's a very normal thing ordinary people do all the time. Kind of like a power saving mode for humans, yeah? Sit still where you are and lean into your chair more than you were planning to, and keeping your eyes shut. Some may call the act relaxing, with the lull of running water in the backdrop and a little whistled tune by someone in good spirits.

It's gotten quite late... Not late enough to make meeting the curfew dicey, but definitely an hour where most people who aren't busy with things would be inside their homes by now. Not a bad idea to get back and turn in soon, hm...?]

Re: til the sun is in the sky (cw: body horror)

[the_archivist]

[It is an interesting thing, to watch events that should belong to you, to the Watcher, but feel the truth that it is a world spun in different ways. No matter. The fear is the same. That sweet terror, the creeping sensation of being watched and judged and exposed.

The Watcher stares as it is approached by the angry woman, and it blinks slowly as she gets closer. It isn't used to people doing more than begging, pleading for it to end.

It definitely doesn't move away or try to flee.]

[murderology]

Right? Traveling the multiverse is kinda awesome.

[ Surely that's what he meant? Doesn't matter! Jerry has quickly moved on and is also now considering that he looks like a god. Sweet. ]

One hundo P me. [ That's a "yes". ] Frequency canceling didn't seem to do the trick so I rigged a pair to go off when the wearer falls asleep. And once you fall into a state of REM sleep the screaming kicks in.

[ Jerry gives Stephen an expectant look, words spoken more slowly and with greater ennunciation. ] You're welcome.

[inutilis]

[ ...so.

she knows how to do it, after all. RELAX. he really had been worried for a while, there...

does she hear it when he's finally done settling everything away where it belongs and has finished tidying up...? maybe she picks up on his footsteps drawing closer to the table? even if she doesn't, she'll probably feel his hand gently resting upon her shoulder; Abel is leaning over a bit to give her a warm, if softer sort of smile. ]

Ciel...? It's getting quite late, hm? Would you let me walk you back to the apartments...?

[septieme]

[of course she does, doesn't everyone? how is anyone supposed to live if they don't know how to sit back and manage their own stress once in a while?

...

Yes, yes she stirs. She was only resting her eyes, nothing more! There is a faint stiffening of her frame when his hand lands, but she doesn't ESCAPE this time, only sits up straighter and raises her head. She's not turning around to face him either, however.]

It has gotten quite late, yes. ...But what's that supposed to mean? Don't we both live in the same area?

[Please. She's an Adult™, she doesn't need to be walked home! If things were to be rephrased, however...]

[inutilis]

[ don't worry, don't worry-- his PAW isn't lingering very long, especially when he notices her stiffen; he's withdrawing it, just wanted to make sure he didn't startle her by his voice suddenly APPEARING at her shoulder... if she was, you know. deep in ""relaxation,""

Abel is huffing as he straightens, nudging at his glasses and giving a dismissive wave of his hand, ]

Well~! Of course we do, so we're headed in the same direction! Do you have a problem with that...? Surely you're not about to call me creepy again for asking if you're coming, too...! I really will cry. Cry~!

[murderology]

[ Sword wielding maniac and sword wielding BADASS are two different things, Jack! ]

Hah, totally. This is nothing! [ Very reassuring, he is.

In response to Jack, he steps between his companions and the now feral party guests with his sword (if you can call it that) in hand, all of the confidence of a man who has done this thousands and thousands of times. Amazing how much confidence can give the illusion that you know what you're doing. ]

You two go on. [ He glances back at them with a nod. ] I got this.

[ And with that, he swings his sword down upon the nearest vampire reject and slices him in two.

Well, ideally, that's what would have happened. What happens instead is that his bootleg, hastily put together sword, breaks as the tape isn't strong enough to hold together the mop handle and the sheet metal. The party-goer, at most, appears confused, while Jerry is absolutely flabbergasted. ]

He broke my Johnson!

[ Okay, maybe getting the hell out of here is a good idea after all. ]