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apocalypsehowcomm2021-10-15 05:46 pm
- !event,
- aelwyn abernant (d20 fantasy high),
- bucky barnes (mcu),
- kate cordello (original),
- mercy graves (original),
- zz_abel nightroad (trinity blood),
- zz_andrew jaeger (original),
- zz_caduceus clay (critical role),
- zz_ciel (tsukihime),
- zz_emily dyer (identity v),
- zz_goro akechi (persona 5),
- zz_jack townsend (tftgs),
- zz_jeff calhoun (original),
- zz_malcolm bright (prodigal son),
- zz_neal caffrey (white collar),
- zz_ren amamiya (persona 5),
- zz_stephen strange (mcu),
- zz_steven chen (original),
- zz_takashi shirogane (voltron),
- zz_thackery binx (hocus pocus)
Event - Lullaby
(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.
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.
(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.'
(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.
(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!
- 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?
no subject
...
this reaction......]
Goodness. Put more enthusiasm into that and you'd easily pass off as a freshly adopted but woefully untrained puppy. --Oh, and our stop is coming up next!
[She doesn't have to explain herself like this, right?]
no subject
a little protest splutters from him, but before he can let a protest-- enthusiastic protest, at that-- Abel is distracted by talk of their stop; it doesn't quite dissolve the frown at his face nor his complaints, but... ]
A-adopted by who, precisely?! And untrained?!
[ Caterina, somewhere, nods her head in virulent agreement, ]
Just what is that supposed to mean? --Ciel?!
no subject
I wouldn't know about that, you don't seem tagged--or did it get lost, on your way here to Gloucester? Oh, but we should get off or we'll miss our stop. Are you coming, untagged "Father" Nightroad? 'Abel' would be a cute name for a puppy though, come to think of it...!
[n_n?]
no subject
Abel's fumbling up to his feet alongside her as she readies to depart, making a choked noise as if he really doesn't know how on earth to respond to this??? CIEL!! ]
Un... untagged?! --Oh, are you trying to say my master was careless...? Is that it?! O-or am I just a hopeless, untamed stray?! Officer SISTER--
[ once the bus lumbers to a stop and they make their departure, the bus driver sure is rolling his eyes in a relieved exasperation,
smh so many crazies in this town, ]
no subject
F bus driver, at least they're free of two crazies on this late night...
meanwhile Ciel on her end is still just casually musing out loud to herself:]
--Oh, my. But the more I think about it, the more sense it makes! Once untamed and even more careless than he is today, the stray trod on alone until he came to meet someone with religious ties, who then decided to take him in. Is it possible that he's actually behaving better already, compared to the state he was first found in way before? That would explain perfectly also, how he ended up joining the church despite his lacking manners. It's all thanks to adoption...!
[is she even still listening to him (no), she's too busy coming up with pupper origin fanfiction--]
1/2
no right
absolutely NO RIGHT hitting the nail so close to head, like, this is border-lining Creepy, now, to the point that Abel's face is flushing a bright and vibrant red under the streetlight as they walk past. his mouth is furiously working and nothing is coming out for a good while-- ]
no subject
--Officer SISTER. For shame...! I'll have you know it is HIGHLY inappropriate to make these kind of speculations about a coworker, c... comparing him to a stray dog to be adopted and tamed, I-- I am not an animal, thank you!! What in the world has gotten into you?!
1/2
She WAS kidding, honest??? At least mostly, but once the puppy analogy clicked and she got the ball rolling, it DID all check out too well to not keep rambling about the little backstory she made him. The fact may be that he arrived here in cassock, but he's still the farthest thing from a proper priest than she's ever seen. Blame it on his own behavior if he doesn't like this!! So much obnoxious enthusiastic energy and yet also so, so dumb smh...
But then he gave her the longest bout of silence she's ever been afforded by him when she knows she also just said something ridiculous and obnoxious in turn (by design, You Know The Rules And So Do I, etc), she couldn't help but glance aside and back up at him. What's gotten him so suspiciously quiet? It's not like him at all, and why ISN'T he already refuting her silly little fanfiction?
...
Because he's too busy blushing and stammering, apparently?! And the blush IS glaring despite the late hour, he can thank his own pale-ass complexion and the nice and shiny and modern streetlight for exposing him so openly. But if he's reacting this way, and NOT upkeeping their usual antics, then can't this mean only one thing? For by process of elimination, if he wasn't able to refute her immediately and come up with some other witty nonsense of his own on the spot, and is instead reduced to this, whatever you may call it...]
no subject
So that's how it is, hm~? Interesting, interesting...!
Linking her hands behind her back, she is beaming up her sunniest smile at him:]
I see, so that's why you've been so unruly! Do you miss your Master from home? You could hardly be faulted for that, so don't worry, you can be honest. I happen to be a dog person myself, so I don't mind playing with you if you get lonely. ♥ I promise to be more mindful, the next time you badger you way to me?
[...yep, stopped listening to him completely--]
no subject
Wow~! So you've just doubled SHAMELESSLY down and outright called me a dog by name, have you? Well, I hope you know I'm not the sort to play fetch on command [ this is a lie ] nor roll over and show my belly for pets for just anyone, [ also a lie ] thank you~! Nor do I feel particularly inclined to humor your little analogy any further than this, degrading and debasing as it is to be compared to a collared mutt on a leash...
[ 'dog of the Vatican,' indeed. Caterina would be laughing herself sick. this is horrible. horrible. he hates this. HATES IT, ]
You know what? I'm glad we're headed home. This conversation is suddenly quite exhausting. I can feel the strength leaving me by the very second...! I hope you feel terrible about this later if I end up bedridden for days because of you!!
no subject
he never hadcrushed while being treated like a bona fide DOG. Why does he choose to hang out with such terrible company again smh]Are we still on for chai tea and peanut butter cookies soon, by the way~?
[a beat.]
I'm not part of medicals, but would you like for me to come over and keep you company, in case that you do get sick? I could bring crackers and make you chicken noodle soup, at least!
[treat bribing INTENSIFIES]
1/2
no subject
Chai tea and peanut butter cookies~! Yes, yes, that's right, we did have something of a plan forming for something to that affect, didn't we...? My! My mouth is watering already~! A-are you inviting me over? Setting it in stone, Ciel...? --Oh, though chicken noodle sounds delightful too, to be honest~!
no subject
You're not sick yet, so don't get carried away dreaming about sick people food...
[meanwhile building A is coming into view, won't be much longer now 🤔]
no subject
[ a decisive nod to himself, before Abel's footsteps begin to slow as they reach the 'fork in the road' - left taking him toward A block, and the path ahead leading to the next buildings over. ]
Ah-- Officer Sister, it looks like this is where we say goodnight...! --Please make sure to get some good rest tonight, alright? All joking aside, I really do mean it...! I'll be checking up on you come morning, so you better not have dark circles under those eyes, okay?!
no subject
That's true. Well, we could always hash out the details some other day, yes? It's indeed getting late and has been quite a week, so goodnight and please rest well too, Father. I'll... maybe see you during lunch break, sometimes? I don't believe I've ever caught you at the office any earlier, so 'morning' may be a stretch?
[...just pointing that out, could be just a coincidence too, 🧐]
no subject
[ he is not confirming nor denying,
...thank you, MA'M,
but Abel is taking a few steps down the sidewalk leading toward the A block, waving his hand in amiable farewell toward Ciel as he makes his departure. ]
Please take care, Ciel. Okay?
[ it must be that pesky lighting-- but for just a glimpse, maybe there is something much more sincere and earnest in his eyes as he bids her adieu; a real concern, maybe. a hope she'll get some much needed rest at long last.
then it's gone, because Abel is settling his hands in his pockets, and ambling away. ]
no subject
You too~!
[With a wave of her own, she turns her back to him to continue her way to C block. Maybe she too appeared less... gremlin-esque as they go their separate direction, after all the grief she's caused him tonight? But considering that his steps don't look particularly heavy, maybe none of that was a big deal after all?
...Play w/u some other time, adopted puppy c: Odds are, neither of them will sleep too poorly tonight.]